


Star Wars: Mystery Planet

by lordhadrian



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Fusion, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, F/M, Jedi, Jedi Code, Sith, Star Wars References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-08
Updated: 2015-05-08
Packaged: 2018-03-29 14:46:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 32,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3900205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordhadrian/pseuds/lordhadrian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asajj Ventress, Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee crash land on a mysterious planet that will test their resolve and their friendships.  For Ventress, it will force her to face her past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mystery Planet Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The story is a crossover, featuring other characters you may recognize. I did it for fun, and to try a crossover adventure :)
> 
> This story also follows up the events from the fan fic "The Dying of the Light", continuing the adventures of Ahsoka, Barriss and Asajj.

In the dark days of the Nemon,  
the Morrigu take flight.  
One Mother, One Daughter,  
One sister of the Night

Spirit of Death  
Phantom Queen of Plight  
Will find Chu Culain's love  
Gods will weep above

With Badb and Macha  
and Children of the Light  
Phantom Queen Anann will find her state  
The Morrigu will open the gate

She will be mother to new Nemon  
Her Phantom Crown, she will forsake  
Once angel of Death, a new crown, she will Take

 

~Prophecy from the book of the Morrigu

Phantom Queen of the Nemon

 

 

Obi-wan jumped out of Hyperspace above a red planet. In his search for the fugitive Jedi Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee, and former Sith Assajj Ventress, he has been to several worlds. He approaches orbit of the planet known only as "Beaudicca-3". He looks over his scanners "R4" he calls out to his droid "Let's see what kind of life signs this place holds"

They came across a large mining ship. It was the Red Nostromo. Obi-wan flew in for a closer look. R4 beeped a few times, pouring out information about the planet "What a dreadful world" he frowns "So few life forms.....I suppose it'll be easy to find Ahsoka and the others"

He opened up a channel to the mining ship "Red Nostromo, this is Master Obi-wan Kenobi of the Republic. Come in, Red Nostromo....." There was no answer. Obi-wan flew by the bridge. It was dark. Puzzled, he kept trying to hail them. R4 beeped urgently. Several small fighters popped up from the other side of the mining ship. They fired a barrage of lasers. He spent a few seconds trying to dodge the blasts. He turned to face the attackers and fired back "Pirates!" he grimaced. He whipped past them, but found himself surround. Several solid blasts ripped into his starboard engine. He left a trail of smoke and spun out of control into the atmosphere. "MAY DAY!! MAY DAY!!! I'M GOING DOWN! To any Republic ships in the vacinity or in the outer systems, I am making a crash landing on Beaudicca-3! I have been attacked by pirates and have lost engine control!" His craft spiraled downward to the planet.....

 

STAR WARS: MYSTERY PLANET

 

The Sophonisba, having travelled through hyperspace for two days, was about ready to end its jump. It was a moment to relax before catching up with Red Nostromo. Ahsoka Tano had left the Jedi to escape a horrible war and corruption within the Order she had once been dedicated to just weeks before. With her, Assajj Ventress and Barriss offee, and a group of friends who set out to help her find peace away 

from the darkness that surrounded Coruscant. All of them had just narrowly avoided getting killed in a deadly ambush by the nefarious General Grievous. For now, all was quiet.

Ahsoka lay in a bed in the medical unit. It was a small, cramped room on Ventress' small cramped Bounty Hunter ship, a ship she nicknamed "Sophy". She was still recovering from exposure to the vacuum of space. Barriss entered, suprising her with a tray of food. "Rise and shine, Sleepy!" Barriss smiled big "By my calculations, it's morning somewhere in the Republic. Time to eat!" Ahsoka grinned 

"You're spoiling me. I may have to slow dow my healing for more of this!". The tray had meager amounts of food, small portions were stored in Ventress' pantry, having not anticipated she would be away from civilization for so long, or having so much company on board. But Ahsoka was happy, grateful to be in good company. Barriss had a nice hot cup of java ready, which helped to wake Ahsoka. "We'll be jumping out of hyperspace soon" Barriss put the tray in front of Ahsoka "I thought I'd lighten the atmosphere. We've been a bit crowded, with all these men on board, and only one facility to share. One small shower stall! It becomes very awkward, but at least we are among good people"

"Any word from the Red Nostromo? Has Vincent detected the Sepratists behind us?" Ahsoka inquired. "No word from the mining ship. At least Grievous isn't following us". Ahsoka took a moment to hold Barriss' hand. They smiled at each other, grateful to be alive. Destiny had turned on them both. They thought they had lost each other several times, and their friendship had been put to a terrible test. 

They had beaten the odds, along with Ventress. Barriss got up and left Ahsoka to enjoy her breakfast in quiet.

She entered the recreational area. Conradin, Lux and the Doctor sat in the cushion seat around the small game table. "Morning sunshine!" Conradin called out. They were a little groggy, but Barriss put down a tray of food for them, and a bowl of yellow fruit "Fantastic!" The Doctor grabbed one of the fruits, peeled it and bit into the soft white part inside. "Good morning everyone!" She smiled. 

Barriss lingered a nice look at Conradin as she sat down around the table with them. "Is Ventress awake?" "I think she and Riddick had to do some maintenance in the cargo bay. They should be back shortly" 

Barriss could hear the faint sounds of metal and hammering going on. The ship must have needed repairs, she thought. "I hope we get to the Red Nostromo soon" Lux grinned as he ate some food "I like you guys a lot, but it's starting to get a little crowded here. The lines for the one shower every 12 hours is a bit much". Conradin nudged his friend "Lux, we are almost through this little patch. We'll catch up with Mal and everyone can get a hot meal, a soft bed and plenty of private space"

Barriss ate with them for awhile and went back to the small pantry "I'd better see if Assajj needs anything". She fixed another tray for Ventress and Riddick, The Doctor jogged up next to her with a cautious look "I think Ventress seemed.....kind of busy when she left to do stuff. You may want to wait for her to finish repairs" Barriss looked at him, puzzled. "I don't understand. What kind of repairs was she making?"

Lux, overhearing them talk, chimed in "Something about her and Riddick getting their 'pipes cleaned". "Pipes?" Barriss went to the small sink and microwave, examining them. She turned on the water system. It poured out water in limited amounts for the sink. Barriss shrugged "The pipes seem to work fine. They must be done" The Doctor blocked the direction of the cargo bay with some diplomacy 

"Well.....now, let's not be hasty. Lads....lass" he cleared his throat, trying to explain the term 'cleaning pipes' "You see....they're not.....really....doing maintenance. I mean, they ARE.....of a sort. You don't want to take the food to them.....not yet" Barriss looked at him with a more puzzled look, then smiled "Doctor, really. If they're through fixing the ship...What are you talking about?"

He cleared his throat some more "Well, truth is....you know....all us lads and lasses in such tight quarters.....all this....tension. You know....They're taking care of personal business". Barriss tilted her head "Cleaning pipes?" He nodded, hoping she understood "Yes". Conradin, who was old enough to know what was going on, sort of agreed "Yeah. You may want to let them eat when they want. They're busy"

She turned and looked at him "What are YOU talking about? Is it maintenance or not?" "No" "Yes" Conradin and the Doctor both gave answers, then tried to switch answers. Barriss shook her head and walked out with the food. The Doctor gritted his teeth a little "Oh dear...." Lux looked at them both, confused "Why are they still working if the sink is fixed?" Conradin and the Doctor looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

 

Barriss entered the cargo bay, careful to carry the tray down into the shadowy space "I have food, Ventress. Ventress? Riddick?" She looked around. The lights were low. "Go ahead and put it by the stairs" Ventress called out.

"I could bring it over" She started walking towards Assajj's voice "If you want..." Ventress had an unusual purring in her voice. Barriss rounded a small corner, and her heart stopped "Oh dear...." she gasped. With lightning speed, she put the tray down and turned away. Ventress and Riddick were lying together under a thick blanket. He leaned against a pillow by the wall, unconcerned at Barriss' shock. Ventress was resting on him, laying there by his chest with the biggest smile in the world. Both of them were glowing fantastically. Their clothes were scattered everywhere, and Ventress sounded slightly out of breath.

"The others...." Barriss stuttered "they tried to tell me you were doing maintenance....cleaning the pipes, but the...the sink works, so I guess the pipes are clean?" Ventress looked into Riddicks strange eyes and was in a whole other world "Yes" She replied in a dream state "These pipes are clean" She caressed his chest, and could not stop from dropping small kisses all over his shoulder and neck "Sorry, I seem to be distracted, Barriss."

"Oh, it's ok" Barriss walked very fast to the stairs, stuttering a mile a minute "I'm sorry I interrupted I didn't mean to....oh dear...." She ran up the stairs, completely embarrassed.

Riddick put his arm around Ventress, caressing her neck and shoulder. She closed her eyes with that same glowing smile "She seems tense" He finally spoke. Ventress snuggled up to him "She's got abstinence down to an art and a science. She needs to have a wild man show her a good time. Too many old Jedi habits". He smiled "We should let her and Conrad explore after we dock with Nostromo" he 

grinned "Let them get a few ideas of their own" Ventress giggled "Honey, those two wouldn't know what to do if you took their clothes and left an instruction manual. They'll probably end up knitting a sweater together, or doing crossword puzzles...." they laugh and embrace in a bunch of kisses.

 

Barriss rushed back to the recreation area, then calmly stopped and walked cooly, like nothing happened. Conradin, The Doctor and Lux were playing a card game at the table, trying to not look at Barriss, trying to save her from further embarrasement. Vincent floated out of the cockpit. The droid monitored their progress while people had slept earlier "Ah, Good morning, Ms Offee" he floated towards her. Vincent floated by "Good Morning, Ms Barriss" the droid called out, somewheat cheerfully.

"Yes" She replied to him "Good morning, Vincent". She quickly started to drink hot mug of java, somewhat nervously. "Oh dear" Vincent's big white eyes stared at her "You walked in on them having sex, didn't you?" Barriss sprayed her java in mid drink. Conradin and the Doctor looked at Vincent in disbelief. Lux still had no clue what just happened.....

 

As the hour wound down, Everything returned to as normal as possible. Ventress and Riddick made their way to the cockpit, preparing to end their travel through hyperspace. "Everybody, get ready to pack your things" Ventress announced "we'll be dropping out of hyperspace to board the mining ship."

Barriss went to Ahsoka and gathered up some of their things. The others cleaned up a bit around the ship.

"All right, Sophy" Ventress smiled "Let's wrap it up!" She dropped out of hyperspace. Conrad sat down next to Vincent in the back seats of the cockpit. Lux and Barriss peaked in to watch as the ship approached the dull red planet.

"Where are we at?" Barriss inquired. Ventress casually worked the controls as she answered "It's the planet....Beaudicca-3....Doesn't look like much." She scanned the orbit of the planet, and spotted Red Nostromo. "There we go!" She sighed. Conradin smiled. "Finally! We can sleep in real beds!" he commented. Ventress grinned with a glance over at Riddick "Yeah. Real beds" she purred quietly.

 

They made their approach towards one of the hangar bays. Riddick casually punched up a hailing frequency "Mal, come in. We want to land." There was no response. Riddick kept hailing the ship, but there was no response.

"Something's wrong" Vincent sounded like he frowned. Conradin started to get suspicious as well "Yeah, we may want to back away." Vincent became alarmed "Evasive manuevers! I'm picking up fighter craft, coming in hot!"

6 fighters launched from the Red Nostromo. Conradin's jaw dropped. Barriss felt his alarm "Do you have fighters on board?" she hoped maybe this was a mistake. Conradin was frantic at his station "We certainly do not! Those are pirates!"

Ventress started flying defensively as the pirates opened fire. "Just like you, Conrad!" she frowned "Always believing in people when they let you down!"

"No" He replied "Mal's not a pirate, and he doesn't mingle with them. He must have gotten ambushed!"

Several blasts rocked the ship "Everyone brace yourselves! Evasive maneuvers and headaches coming up!"

 

The pirates blasted at Sophy's engines. Sparks started flying from some of the consoles. The ship rattled with each blast.

Riddick went to the lockers and grabbed a toolbox "I'm on it!" He called out as he scrambled to the engine room. Ventress looked unhappy as the ship made several discouraging noises. "She'll hold together!" Ventress' reassurance was not well recieved as the Sophonisba careened towards the atmosphere.

Another blast rocks the ship. Conradin and Lux go back to warm up the guns. The Doctor goes back to check on Ahsoka. Barriss sits in a seat, watching as Ventress tries to evade with more and more difficulty. Another blast creates sparks in the cockpit "Shield generator is out!" Vincent reports.

"These guys are playing for keeps! CONRAD! LUX! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING!? HAVING A TEA PARTY!? SHOOT THEM!!" Ventress yelled.

Manning the guns, Conradin and Lux had a lot of difficulty. "They aren't droids, which I would consider a form of cheating at this point!" Conradin yelled back. He and Lux continued to throw return fire at the pirates, but the sleek fighters were too fast. Lux swore under his breath at the speed in which they dodged his blasters

Lux finally pinged one. It left a trail of exhaust. Conradin had little luck with the fighters flying by him. He nicked one here, dented one there. They seemed to be too fast. "Oh come on!" One of the fighters zoomed in and fired a missle towards him. Conrad stared as red lights started flashing. "Well....shit."

A huge explosion rocked the ship. Ventress felt like she almost got thrown out of her chair. 3 different alarms went off as the ship helplessly tumbled into the atmosphere. "We got a hull breach!!" Ventress tried to stabilize the ship, with no success. Everything was shutting down. How could dumb pirates be this good?

Barriss ran over to the ladder. Air was furiously flying up from where Conradin's gun post was. She looked down and gasped. "Conrad!" She called out. He was trapped in a precarious position. His 

gun post was gone. Not just smashed, or dammaged by the blast. It was *gone* The hull had caved in around him from the impact, squashing him against the ship. He looked up, blood coming out of his mouth. 

His feet dangled at the edge of outer atmosphere of the planet. The wind whipped around him as he looked at her "I don't feel too good"

She tried reaching down. She grabbed his collar, but he was wedged in. His wounds weren't bad, but he was a mess. "Hold on!" He raised an eyebrow as she ran off to get help. "I'm not going anywhere" He replied. He looked down, into the abyss. He could see the planet surface far below, and it was coming up at him fast.

Lux climbed down and looked at him. "Can you move? You've got Force powers. Can't you....?" Conradin shook his head "I'm pretty much stuck. Besides....if I get freed...." They both grimaced as he looked down. Thick, polluted Clouds were whipping by him. Lux ran up to the cockpit. He entered. Ventress was frantically trying to get the ship back online.

"Why aren't you at your post!?" She barked.

"Conradin's trapped, we gotta get him up! His gun, every part of his section is gone! He's practically dangling out of the ship!"

She shook her head. At least the pirates broke off their attack. But Sophy was sinking like a stone. The panel showed they probably would slam into the planet in two minutes, maybe less. She could land it on its belly, maybe some of them would survive.....but Conradin would be crushed on impact. She blanked out and froze for a few seconds. Vincent turned to them Riddick is trying to jumpstart the engines. I'm rerouting the systems to give us as much power as we can when we get back online. Ventress? VENTRESS!"

She snapped out of it "I heard you, dammit!" But she was unsure now. She had to block out the panic that crept up on her. Ahsoka. She thought of Ahsoka. "DOCTOR! Get Ahsoka and brace for impact!"

The Doctor had already grabbed Ahsoka Tano out of the medical bay "Got her!" He ran, carrying her down to the engine room. He met up with Riddick. He put down Ahsoka and used his little contraption to tweak the electrical controls. "Can that device restart the engines?" Riddick called out as he wiped sweat from his forehead. The doctor fiddled with it "I'm trying to reconfigure the output. Give me 15 seconds!"

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" Ventress saw the altitude meter spinning wildly to the ground "THIRTY SECONDS!!". Ventress gripped the control and buckled up in her seat, but it was a useless gesture without engine power. She looked at Vincent. "Take care of the survivors. Whoever's left."

Vincent multitasked a dozen different calculations and programs with the ships faltering computer as she spoke, and turned to her with little interruption of his higher functions "I'm flattered you assume I will make it through the crash. I assure you, I have a 12% chance. No much, but I will take your request into consideration. Faith can move mountains if you let it, though...." Vincent's words did not necessarily make her feel better, but she took them as the compliment he meant them to be. "thank you for everything, Vince" she concluded. The ship tumbled through the air in its downward spiral. 

Vincent wasn't ready to give up, so he went back to his calculations. Lux started to shake as he buckled up. He was terrified as he saw the ground coming up.

Barriss went back to Conradin. She looked down at him, helpless. He looked up at her "You may not want to witness this" He said, his voice shaking. Her jaw dropped in horror, but she wasn't ready to quit. She put out a hand and tried once more to grab him He couldn't budge. She frantically braced herself on her knees and pulled both hands forward, concentrating on him and the hull that pinned him in. She concentrated, using the force. It slowly bent at the hull, but it wasn't going fast enough.

"Get to safety!" Conradin called up. She refused to listen.

"It's no good!" Riddick called out. He couldn't get the engine going. The combat strained it, and it screeched as it tried to restart. The Doctor gritted his teeth as he increased the power in his 

device "Come on, my little Screwdriver, don't fail me now. NOT NOW!!!"

Riddick went over to Ahsoka and picked her up. The Doctor kept increasing the power, aiming his device at the engine core "Come on!! JUST THIS ONCE everybody lives! Just this once, don't have me bury someone because I couldn't DO ENOUGH!!! Don't end like this, give me just one more miracle! COME ON!!! JUST THIS ONCE!!! EVERYBODY LIVES!!!"

The Screwdriver made a buzzing sound that got loud. The Engine hummed to life, glowing blue from its power core. Everything started to kick in.

"We have power!" Vincent went into activating all his calculations to draw power to the ship as quickly as possible. Staring at a hard wasteland surface rising up with seconds to impact, Ventress punched the acceleration to push the ship up as she fought the steering controls to keep from hitting the ground. She barely made it, though it only delayed the crash, and helped level them out for a more horizontal crash landing rather than a sudden vertical killer. Lux clutched the seat and held his breath. Ventress yelled one long obscenity as the ship dipped to the ground after one last gasp.

Conradin quickly glanced down as the ground ran to him, the unstoppable force of gravity. He looked up at Barriss. "Goodbye" He whispered. Wether Barriss heard him or not was irrelevant. She sensed the ground coming up, sensed her power was stil not enough. At the last second she threw her hands to him and DEMANDED the Force out of herself through sheer will power. She yelled, unleashing her chi upon 

Conradin. The hull was ripped asunder from him, and his body shot up to her. They grabbed each other as the ship plowed into the ground. The hull where Conradin was a moment before is smashed and crushed. 

The ship nearly fell apart as it left a trail of debris, fire and smoke in the long, disturbed canal of destruction.

The Doctor got tossed about, and was not feeling good after hitting the third wall in the face with his body. Riddick held Ahsoka tightly while clutching a part of the ship. He was well braced for impact, but felt the pain in his muscles to stay in place. Ahsoka held onto him as the ship rocked violently into the ground until it came to a complete halt.

Everyone hed still in a state of shock. Vincent, having hovered through most of it, avoided a lot of wear and tear, but ran a diagnostics chek on himself to clear up any bugs in his systems. "We have come to a complete stop, Ms Ventress. I have scanned the ship. All vitals and life signs of the crew have been accounted for. We made it." Vincent let out a small sigh of relief. Vincent exited the cockpit to check on the others. The ship was a mess.

Ventress forced herself to let go of the controls. She looked around ather ship. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Thank you, Sophie."

Conradin and Barriss were on the floor in a survival embrace, each trying to cover the other from debris and shrapnel. Despite her efforts to cover him from debris, Conradin was on top of her, shielding her from most of the damage. The hallway around them was littered with dirt from the outside , having slipped in through multiple hull breaches. There were parts and wires everywhere.

Barriss and Conradin clutched each other closely, looking into each others eyes. "You ok?" He asked. She nodded, but said nothing. He got up off of her, helping her up. She had a small limp, feeling sore in one leg. He hugged her briefly, grateful. Vincent floated by. "Is everyone ok, Vincent?" Barriss' voice was weak as she looked to the droid.

"All life signs are active. I am going to check on everyone." She tried walking, but the pain was too much. Conradin helped her along as they followed Vincent. They didn't have to go far. Riddick came down the hall with Ahsoka in his arms "Vincent, what are the chances those pirates will send out a scouting party?"

"I have not had a chance to examine our enviroment, except to say we are in a vast toxic wasteland hundreds of miles from everywhere and nowhere.....no, wait. I take that back. I'm picking up signals."

The Doctor wobbled up to them, holding his head. "You got enough miracle left in you to walk?" Riddick looked at him, impressed. The Doctor moaned a little "I'll get as far as we need to go if you tell me there's an aspirin out there on the planet surface....."

Ahsoka got down from Riddick, grateful he was there to hold her. She walked carefully over to Barriss and hugged her. "We made it" She whispered. "Ventress?" She called out "we need to get moving!"

Assajj Ventress walked quickly out of the cockpit, followed by Lux. "Everone gather up what supplies we can. They're coming for us, and I want to be far from here! Riddick, fill as many canteens with water as you can, give one to each person. Doc, you get the medical supplies. Lux, blankets. Conradin, weapons. Vincent, do a recon of the surface. MOVE IT!"

Ventress grabbed her own set of supplies from one of the lockers, and went to examine Ahsoka and Barriss. She started looking over Barriss leg. It was sprained but ok. "Ahsoka, you good enough to move?"

Ahsoka inched her way to the door "I'm good. I'll help with Barriss" She went to carry Offee towards the door.

"I'm sorry, I am going to be a burden until this gets better". Ahsoka noogied her hair with a smile. There were no worries as long they were alive and together. Ventress ran about like a mother hen, handing stuff to Barriss and Ahsoka. "Here's extra water. Do not share it, do not waste it" she hurried, grabbing a long sniper rifle and extra ammo, stuffing things in a handy backpack. "Flashlights, flares, painkillers.....soap!" She grabbed stuff and shoved it in the bag. She gave Ahsoka and Barriss extra lightsabers "These are your life! Treat them well." She looked around as others scrambled to clear out the ship. "We ready?" she called out. Everyone lined up to leave. Ventress looked around at the ship one more time. Not sentimental, but noting with Irony how Sophie chose not to be captured by the enemy. She led the party out the cargo bay.

"Ms Ventress, you must excuse the colorful metaphors that spring forth from my communication circuit....but this is a real shit hole of a planet." Vincent looked around as they exited the ship and climbed out of the huge ditch that stretched for half a mile.

Ventress was not offended by the droid's assesment of the situation. "I think you captured the sentiment exactly" She replied. They all looked around. It was a desert wasteland, desolate and the air smelled a little toxic.

"The atmosphere is breathable, but the impurities I'm measuring are thick. I suggest we leave the planet so we don't develope unique cancers over the next 20nyears, because that is what we can expect if we live here long.

"Which way are the Pirate signals emitting from?" She asks.

Vincent turned towards the rising sun. "I estimate it is still early morning on this side of the planet. Temperature slowly rising. The pirates are in the north and Northwest regions. I get some weak radio signals, but they wlll close in on this location in the next hour, suggesting they have fast transports, maybe ground vehicles or something in the air." Before Ventress can respond, he continues. 

"I estimate the desert heat will reach intense levels in the next 3 hours. This will no doubt cause the Pirates to abandon their search for us, but it also means we need to find shelter, or wounds will 

become infected and heat exhaustion will overwhelm some of us." He floated ahead, waiting for further instructions.

Assajj, Riddick and Conradin scanned the horizon. "There's some moutains to the southeast. Make for high ground?" Conradin looked.

Ventress pulled out some powered binoculars "There are some ruins several miles close to them, sounds like a good idea. We keep marching at my pace, folks. I'll carry wounded if I have to, but we keep moving!" They started out.

Lux walked next to Ahsoka as Conradin offered to help Barriss along. Her body still ached from previous wounds, but she smiled bravely for him as they walked. "I have an extra bottle of water. take it"

Ahsoka tried to refuse. "You should save that for yoursef. It's going to get brutal out here soon."

He smiled bravely for her this time. "Take it. I have plenty." She reluctantly put the bottle away. They held hands. "I'm glad you're ok. I...I didn't want to think about all that had happened. I can't imagine what it was like for you, back there when Captain Finn....."

"Yeah. It was rough. I thought of you, Barriss, all my friends. But, we're here now, and now is good" she smiled. The walk was long, boring, and the scenery was desolate. Ahsoka and Lux looked around and did not find much to be joyful about. It was a scarred desert, with cracked soil, sand swept mounds that were almost dunes. What little vegetation there was looked burnt from exposure, and brown 

puddles of profane liquids bubbled in various spots as they walked by.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say this planet is toxic to all life!" Lux commented with a sour look. "Vincent" he called "Is there any radiation poisoning? Or toxic chemicals?"

Vincent did not hesitate to answer "Unfortunately there is a little of both. Not in harmful doses. The radiation levels are minimal, but they are present. My examination of the enviroment leads me to conclude that this radiation is not part of the natural enviroment. This planet was bathed in it!"

Ventress frowned "You mean the war did this?"

"It is entirely possible, though I need more data to be sure."

The wind picked up. A buzzing drifted to their ears. They looked out and spotted a herd of animals migrating in the far off distance. Ventress scanned the herd with her binoculars. The wind whipped by, the buzzing lazily flew through the air. Riddick stared hard out at the animals. "You think they might be a food source?" He inquired.

Ventress didn't respond for a moment. Near the herd, she spotted a humanoid lizard, dressed in white robes. The lizard like being smiled at her and waved. Something about the person made her feel uneasy. In an instant, he vanished, perhaps a desert mirage. She put away the Binoculars "They are nothing we need to be concerned about for now. If we run low, and cannot find other supplies, we'll turn to the animal life as a last resort. frankly, I don't think I want to eat what I saw out there." Riddick raised an eyebrow, but didn't question.

Barriss and Conradin walked together, though he helped her along when her leg ached. "Here, I have an extra bottle of water for you" He whispered as he handed it to her. She took the water, but looked at him cautiously.

"Do you have enough? I don't want to take your share. We could be in for a horrid day." Conradin waved at her that it would not be a worry.

"I will be fine. We need to find shelter soon and get you off that leg." He held her close. Barriss blushed a little. "You don't have to worry so much. I'm a healer. When we get a chance to rest, I will take care to fix myself. The leg hurts only a little bit" She smiled.

The buzzing got a little louder. Riddick stopped, listened and looked around. He looked at Ventress. They looked at Vincent. "Can you sense anything, Vince?" he asked with urgency.

Vincent paused. "Radiation....we must be in a zone saturated with more of it. I cannot detect....oh damn!" The droid looked behind them, back at the crash site. Three pirate helicopters were far off in the distance, buzzing towards the wreckage. It would only be a matter of time before they circled around to find survivors. Ventress grunted and picked up the pace.

"MOVE IT, PEOPLE! TO THE RUINS!" Everyone went faster. Conradin picked up Barriss, the doctor limped a little faster, keeping behind Vincent. Ventress almost broke into a run. The first missle landed nearby with a crackling explosion. They had been spotted.


	2. Mystery Planet Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ventress comes to realize she is on a planet of a race that fought against her in the Clone Wars. She accepts that she will face a trial for her crimes against the Nemon people.

The choppers were basic designs, having a pilot, and two gunners. There were missiles under the belly, and a small compartment for passengers. Maybe they intended to take prisoners, or slaves.

It was of little comfort to Ventress either way. She pulled out her rifle, turned and took a quick aim. With a couple of careful shots, she pinged one of the chopper pilots between the eyes. The lead chopper spun out of control and smashed into the ground.

The other two choppers didn't hesitate to respond with laser fire. "Everyone scatter!!" Riddick shouted. He pushed some people to the left, some to the right.

Ventress took a deep breath and kept aiming. Two more shots fired, she wounds one of the gunners. The laserfire strafed its way up to her, but she did not move. Still trying to pick off pirates, she was frozen to her spot as the lasers whipped up to her and past her.

Riddick grabbed her at the last second and yanked them both out of the strafing run. They hit the dirt with a thud. Dust flew about them. Ventress and Riddick didn't have time to savor the moment. Instead, their combat instincts kicked in and they rolled back up to see the two choppers split up to go after the individual people.

Lux and Ahsoka ran fast away from the chopper, but it was gaining on them. Laserfire strafed at them. "Separate! Run in a zig zag pattern!" Ahsoka split away from him. Lux began an erratic run, even going in circles. The chopper turned to him, firing a special weapon. It was a sort of net launched from the belly of the chopper. The pilot was good at aiming. He bags Lux on the first shot, just as he must have done a hundred times before to a hundred other unfortunates.

Ahsoka tried to get their attention. She got the attention of at least one gunner, who saw her draw her lightsaber. He fired wildly in her direction.

"You want a piece of me!?" Ahsoka ran after them "Over here!! Come on!!"

The net that covered Lux was attached to a cable. His lighter body was easy to pull along, and the ride was unpleasant. The Chopper dragged him along the desert ground. The net was dragged through a toxic puddle, one of the many Lux and the others had wisely avoided earlier. He was not so lucky. The net was made of strong material, resisting the acidic burns the brown liquid would inflict on Lux's skin. He cried out in pain, and the chopper lifted off higher. He looked at Ahsoka, and the futility of her attempts to catch them. He watched as the chopper sped away faster and faster.

The third Chopper chased after Conradin. He also ran in a crooked pattern, trying to distract them. Vincent fired his twin laser guns, built into his frame. The droid dueled with one of the gunners, trying to use the choppers clumsy maneuverability against the pirates. Barriss was on the ground, dodging laser fire. The Doctor aimed his screwdriver at one of the gunners, causing his weapon to jam, weakening the odds against their group. Conradin stopped, turned around and aimed his blaster. A clumsy weapon, he and Vincent caught the pirates in a crossfire.

Barriss saw an opportunity. "VINCENT! Stay where you are!" She go up as the pirates started getting desperate. Missiles were fired, and the other gunner strafed all around. Barriss, despite the pain in her leg, was driven by pure adrenalin. She ran, Force jumped onto Vincent's smooth head and leaped high above the chopper.

Conradin held his breath, and his heart stopped for a second as she positioned herself directly above the chopper blades. In one swift move, she swung her light saber into the rotary blades, slicing the blades to pieces. She angled herself away from the chopper as it sank from the air, landing gracefully like a dark purple bird with arms spread out to balance her landing. The chopper crashed hard to the ground behind her. The chopper explodes, engulfed in flames.

"Spectacular move!" Conradin smiled as he came up to her. "You were amazing!"

Barriss smiled weakly "It's all in....in the wrist..." She collapsed, suddenly having difficulty breathing. the adrenalin wore off. Both of them noticed, especially to Conradin's horror, a piece of rotary blade had spun away after her attack, lodging itself solidly into her stomach area. "I don't feel so good" She mumbled

Conradin yelled for medical help as he cradled her in his arms "ASAJJ!" He was not trained as a medic. He was terrified to even touch the wound, or get it more infected than it would be.

Asajj had tried to catch the other Chopper that stole away with Lux. She fired her sniper rifle several times. She knew she hit the pilot by the way the chopper wobbled in the distance after one of the shots.

"Dammit, the Force is strong with him!" She finally heard Conradin's call. Everyone turned and gathered around Barriss.

Riddick wasted no time as he got on his knees and examined the wound. "You better brace yourself, kid, because this....is going to hurt." He took a firm grip on the piece sticking out of her. She held Conradin's hand and braced herself with the other. Riddick yanked the blade piece out. She gave a horrendous yell in pain, but recovered quickly.

Asajj pulled out her medical kit and sterilized the wound. Everyone started to back away as She cleaned up the blood and put a gauze bandage on the large cut.

Ahsoka was there to make sure Barriss would be ok. She turned to the direction of the pirates. Her eyes watered up a bit, wondering what would happen. Lux got snatched up. Everything happened too fast. Vincent floated next to her, rather subdued. "I am terribly sorry, Ms Tano. I don't know why I failed to detect them...."

"It wasn't your fault. It was....just a bad card we got dealt today. I can sense he is in pain, but alive. And as long as I can hold onto that....I can keep going."

Ventress got up, and grimly looked at them. Conradin picked Barriss up and carried her with the group. The pain had been so great she fell unconscious, but at least the bleeding was minimal, the wound patched up. "Let's keep moving" She looked at Ahsoka. What could there be to say? What more could be said? Lux was taken, and there was no way to follow without getting lost in the vastness of the desert. They had to get to shelter or more of them would be taken or die of exposure to a hostile enviroment.

 

*************************************

 

A different turn of events was taking place on Coruscant. Anakin was summoned before the Council. Mace was presiding, along with Plo Koon and Ki Adi Mundi. Anakin bows, awaiting to be briefed. "We have received a distress signal from Obi-wan" Mace got directly to the point. The Council all held grave expressions.

"Master Kenobi?" Anakin asked. He had been concerned ever since Obi-wan went out on recon missions to find Ahsoka. The entire Galaxy and even the Sepratists had become aware of her attack on the Temple, her freeing a traitor, and running off to parts unknown. Anakin took no pleasure in hunting her down, and could not understand why Obi-wan saw this as an opportunity.

Kenobi's enthusiasm to bring Ahsoka and Barriss back into the light was admirable, but Anakin was too pragmatic...and maybe a little scared for her. Out there, with a Bounty Hunter and a terrorist. But he must have found a lead. He went missing a short time ago. Anakin didn't want to lose him as well. "Where is he?"

Plo Koon leaned forward "He was last seen over an obscure planet near the Lipsec run. Beaudicca-3. He was attacked by pirates who have built a strike base in that sector."

"Then I am going to Beaudicca-3" Anakin finally felt like he was getting somewhere. An he did not forget their original purpose "I'll save Master Kenobi....and I'll bring back the culprits." He couldn't bring himself to say her name. Not out of anger, but apprehension. As if he didn't want to jinx her out there in the dangerous unknown.

"Go, young Skywalker. May the Force be with you." Mace concluded. Anakin bowed and exited. As he left the chamber, he ran for R2 and his star fighter. It was time to settle this nonsense. Time to rescue Obi-wan. Time to redeem Ahsoka. Time to execute the traitor.

 

*************************************

 

On The planet surface, deep in the wasteland, the lone pirate chopper flew at top speed to make haste. The pilot had been wounded, and there was little time for taking care of the bleeding. The pilot hoped these survivors were worth the trouble. They had lost two choppers and six men.

Although the pirates could be replaced in a vast galaxy full of recruits. The choppers were a rare necessity to travel on this dead world. Equipment was scarce and valuable. He looked down at the captive. Lux was drying up. He finished his water quickly so the pirates could never have it, and made sure to get rid of anything in his pockets that might be of use to the enemy. He would have to wait for an opportunity to come along for a chance to escape. But Opportunity was watching patiently from a distance. 

Opportunity was waiting.

Katniss. She was dressed in a a duster given to her by her step-dad. It blended in well with the wastelands ugly browns and yellows, caked with dirt for good measure. It had been some time since Red Nostromo stopped to orbit Beaudicca-3. They had been attacked by the pirates. Her Dad, or rather Step-dad, was taken prisoner, but had managed to throw her into an escape pod. She made her way to the planet surface. Survival was her primary concern, but also to explore, and learn the weaknesses of the pirates. She saw some weaknesses in the three men hurrying back with their captured prize. She watched through her binoculars as the chopper got closer. She put her binoculars away and ran to the high ground.

"Bomar! I need you to take over!" The pilot called to one of the gunners. Bomar was a rough looking human. Unshaven, wearing terrible armor that looks like it had been chipped and scarred in dozens of previous encounters, and likely from the dangers of Beaudicca-3. The chopper slowed down and prepared to land.

Bomar answered back to the pilot "You check for Screamers!? Cuz we ain't landing until you do!"

The pilot scratched his beard and examined a small, low tech scanner on his flight panel. "We're clear!" He lands quickly so he can bind his wounds.

Lux got the roughest part of the landing, as no care was taken to ease him to the ground. The wind from the rotary blades blew dust in his eyes. He coughed, the air was filled with too many obnoxious things, and the heat was uncomfortable in the net.

The three pirates got out to stretch. The pilot started patching himself up as the other guy, Bowmar, slipped into the pilot's chair. Lux looked away, not making eye contact, which suited the pilot. "You better be worth something when we get back to base..." The pilot grumbled. Lux refrained from responding. He scanned the desert around him.

A noise wizzed by, the sound of some kind of projectile. The pilot looked around "What the...?" He saw Bowmar slump in his seat, an arrow protruding from his neck. The pilot pulled out his gun, but wasn't fast enough. An arrow nailed him square in the heart. He fell backwards, slumping to the ground. The 3rd guy starting firing wildly at a figure in the distance, a figure that readied another projectile. Lux, seeing a chance, made an effort to reach up and bump the third guy, messing up his aim. It wasn't much, but he wasn't going to just sit by. His effort paid off as the arrow found its way into the guy's throat. All lux could do now was hope this stranger wasn't going to kill him on the spot.

The hooded stranger walked up to the chopper. He was pretty sure the figure was a female, and even though the figure pulled out a large knife, Lux felt that if she had wanted him dead, she would have used the bow that was now slung over her shoulder. She pulled back the hood, revealing a young woman about his age, with long brown hair and a serious expression. "Are you ok?"

"You get me out of here, and I will be much better!" He grinned, but she was deep in thought as she cut him out of the net. He rubbed his exposed skin, stretched his legs and scratched his hair. "I'm Lux Bonteri. I was with a group that crash landed back that way" he pointed in the opposite direction.

"I saw that crash come down." She said grimly "I'm surprised there were any survivors. Were you part of the group that was supposed to dock with us on the Red Nostromo?"

Lux's eyes lit up. "You're with the Red Nostromo!? We tried to contact them, but we were ambushed!"

"They hit us fast the moment we exited Hyperspace. They boarded the ship and captured my step-dad. I was thrown into an escape pod. If it weren't for the thick polluted clouds.....I would probably been blasted out of the sky. My name's Katniss. Katniss Everdeen.

Lux searched the bodies and looted supplies from the chopper and looked around. "How well do you know the territory?" he asked.

She sighed a little "This place is full of poison. I can barely find enough water to live on, and the food supply is scarce. Lots of dangerous stuff out here. Did anyone else survive the crash?" She braced herself for terrible news.

"We all made it, but there may be wounded after the pirates attacked us near the crash site. We were heading for some ruins when we-"

Katniss grabbed him in panic "RUINS!? You mean the dead city in the wastelands?!?" She grabbed her stuff "Your friends are in great danger! Can you fly this thing?"

Lux panicked, alarmed by her reaction "What kind of danger?"

Katniss got into his face "Can you fly the chopper? We'll never make it, unless you can fly or use your communicator!"

Lux frowned, as he looked. His communication device was damaged during his bumpy capture. The brown toxic slimy stuff that stung parts of his skin corroded the mechanism. He pulled the body out of the cockpit. "Come on!!" He jumped in and started fiddling with the controls.

Katniss sat in one of the gunner seats as they lifted off. It was a little clumsy, but Lux was a fast learner. He turned around and accelerated the chopper to head back to where the others were.

 

The group carried on towards the ruins. The ground got sandier and smelled funny. Ventress stuck close with Riddick, keeping an eye out for any more hostile pirates or creatures. Conradin carried Barriss, but the heat was beating down on them, and he began to feel weak from exhaustion. But he kept going. Ahsoka walked with the Doctor, and Vincent watched the rear of the group.

"Are you going to be ok?" The Doctor looked at her with concern for her physical and emotional well being. "They won't harm him, you know. They will need him alive." He tried to be optimistic. "We will recover. And we will find him."

"Thank you" She replied quietly. "I just...can't believe I could not stop them. It all happened so fast." She took a drink from her water. "Have you ever had to worry like this? I can't stop thinking about him. I feel like I've failed him."

He put a hand on her shoulder "Don't ever blame yourself, whatever you do. It happened, and we were caught off guard." He paused for a moment "I know what it's like....to lose friends, to feel like I let them down. I know....That's why I try harder every time."

Vincent sped up to Asajj. "Oh dear...." he muttered. "Ms Ventress, I must relieve myself of my duties. The radiation is giving me....hallucinations"

She stopped and looked at him with a furled brow. Riddick also looked the droid over. "What do you mean, 'hallucinations?"

"You all right, Vince?" Riddick asked

"This will sound like complete lunacy.....but I am detecting a large living organism right here next to us." Vincent looked at them both. "I have life readings, yet I see nothing...."

"You're not hallucinating. I smell something. Something bad" Riddick grabbed Asajj with urgency "We gotta keep moving!"

But it was too late. The Sarlaac, hidden under the sand, opened it's mouth, pulling tentacles out. The mouth created a sink hole effect near the group, and caused enough panic that the tentacles made a quick attack. It was ready to feed, and gave a guttering roar. The beast grabbed Ventress by her legs and started pulling her to its large mouth. It grabbed the doctor, and wrestled with Conrad and Barriss.

Vincent activated its lasers and fired blasts at the tentacles. Riddick jumped at the tentacles holding Ventress, cutting at them with his knives.

Vincent floated around and blasted at it. The beast sent out tentacles to try to attack the droid, but could not sense where exactly the droid was, since Vincent normally hovered and had no feet to give the Sarlaac a frame of reference.

"This is not how I wanted my day to go!" Ventress gritted her teeth as she blasted at the tentacles. Riddick cut at the monster, hacking away until it released Asajj near the edge of its mouth. She could almost look over into the terrifying maw of the great big mouth that threatened them all. She did not look for long. She ran a few feet away and pressed the attack on the beast, tossing a thermal detonator into the living abyss. The explosion erupted down deep, and agitated the creature, but it was determined to feed as it pulled the Doctor closer.

Ahsoka grabbed the Doctor's hands and pulled back with all her might. "I won't let go!" She grunted.

"You're doing fine!" As horrified as he was at the thought of being a monster's next meal, he took time out to give some encouragement. He looked over and saw Barriss fight off the tentacles with her light saber. Conradin blasted at them with his gun. They were going to be ok. He looked the other direction and saw Vincent hovering directly over the big mouth, blasting away at the insides of the beast, and Ventress continued to shoot the tentacles.

The beast let out another roar. Barriss and Conradin made their way over to Ahsoka and the Doctor, helping to free him from a monstrous grip. Barriss sliced through yet another tentacle, but they just kept coming.

Everyone started backing away, but the monster was determined, and grabbed Riddick this time as he and Asajj tried to run. Riddick stabbed at the beast with his deadly knives. Wether in anger or in desperate hunger, the Sarlaac snapped up 3 more tentacles to wrap around him. Ventress was not going to tolerate it. She started firing wildly at the tendrils that dragged Riddick closer to the mouth.

"Give me your hands!" She shouted. Ventress was being pulled with Riddick, and they both knew the others would not reach them in time. Vincent fired blast after blast into the beast, but it was resolved to finish its meal. The tentacles started swarming over Riddick, ripping into his clothes and tearing off his goggles. Ventress gripped him more tightly and screamed as they reached the edge.

"Hey....You better get your ass moving!" Riddick looked at her. He loosened his grip on her hands. "Get the others, and get to the ruins."

Asajj was furious that he would give up. The others were running towards them, but the beast prepared for one more yank into the darkness. Asajj stared at him, and was ready to join him into the nihilistic horror of the beast's belly. "I won't...."

Riddick smiled "Do you trust me, Asajj? Do you trust me?" She started to tear up a little, but nodded quietly. "Then trust that I will see you later. I can handle this. Now, let go."

She let go. A leap of faith when she was willing to join him. And yet, she had responsibilities. He grabbed his knives as the Sarlaac pulled him in, through and beyond.

Vincent looked at her, and down into the mouth. He, too, made a decision. The others reached Ventress and started pulling her away. "Ms Ventress!" Vincent called out "Riddick's life signs are still positive. He's as tough as nails. I will do my best to bring him back to you! Keep going. My sensors will find you eventually." Vincent dove into the Sarlaac, into the darkness. A few more blasts could be heard, then nothing as the group moved further away.

Conradin helped Ventress to her feet. Nobody said anything. No one wanted to speak first. They all patted each other, making sure they were ok.

Ventress didn't want to leave. Her face curled up into grief as Conradin held her close. She felt real loss. She struggled to stay, she looked at Conradin, begging with her eyes to stay. She knew better, though. They hugged for a moment. She held him tightly, emotionally weak for a second. These emotions. They were almost new to Asajj Ventress. She had lived as a Sith for so long, her emotion side had almost died, almost become extinct. Ever since the day Ahsoka walked into that bar on Coruscant, she slowly came to life. Slowly became something human again.

At first, it was exciting. It was adventure. but now, the galaxy had worn out its welcome. There was a price to pay for this new soul in her, this redemption that breathed new life into her. She started caring. Even for Riddick.

It wasn't the puppy love Ahsoka had for Lux, or the shy romance that Barriss danced around when she was near Conrad. Ventress and Riddick had an understanding, and were almost alike on so many levels. It wasn't traditional love......but she had almost dared to believe they would be together for years. Maybe they still could. After all, she trusted him.

They moved on. The Doctor carried Barriss while she recovered from the terrible combat with the choppers. Ahsoka and Conradin took turns walking with Ventress, who had a devastated look all the way to the edge of the ruins. She would recover herself eventually. She owed it to Ahsoka and Barriss to never give up, even though she was ready to throw herself into that living pit with the man who shared himself wih her in a most private way. As much as she would think of her moment with Riddick as nothing more than the physical enjoyment of a one night stand, the emotional bond she created, almost by accident, would haunt her now until he returned....or she was dead.

They reached a large, barbed wired fence that stretched as far as the eye could see, surrounding the ruins that looked to be a vast alien city. The ground inside the fence was dirst, sand, mud. A lot of loose ground. It looked too odd to be safe. "There's a reason why this is wired off..." Conrad muttered.

Asajj nodded, but stared ahead "We gotta get to shelter. I'll take the lead." Conradin looked at her, but she stared ahead. Maybe it was a minefield, and she'd blow herself to kingdom come. Maybe there were snipers, or worse. She was numb, and couldn't think of any more options.

Ahsoka stepped forward and smashed a small section of the fence into the ground with her Force powers. "Stay close" She said to them quietly. They started off slow. As they continued, Ahsoka and Barriss got a funny look, as they glanced at each other.

"Did you...?!" Ahsoka tensed up and pulled her saber.

"Yeah, I sensed it too" Barriss broke free of the Doctor's care and lit up her saber. Everybody moved a little faster. Then, they heard the screams.

"What the hell?" Conradin looked around but saw nothing. Multiple screams filled the air. They were horrible shrieks, terrifying. Some things were under the dirt, under the ground. They plowed towards the group just below the surface. Creatures the size of jawas dug furiously towards them.

Everyone broke into a run. Up ahead, Ventress saw an older man in a soldier uniform running to them. He must not have been hostile, he was shouting at them to run. He motioned them over to him. His side of the zone also had a barb wire fence, but he was at an opening. The soldier realized they would not make it. There were now a dozen digging creatures coming after them. The screams were now unbearable.

Ahsoka sees one of the things barreling towards her. She braces herself as it leaps out of the dirt, revealing itself to be a machine, a killing robot with blades all over its body. She slices it in half in its mid-air leap. Everyone gasps at such a horrible weapon.

Conradin blasts at several of the underground things torpedoing their way to him.. Their screams pierce his ears. Four of them were about to leap at him. He blasts one in the ground, but the others move quickly. One leaps out of the dirt, razor sharp blades poised to strike. Barriss blocks it with her bright saber, shattering it to pieces. The soldier fires on the other two as they also get read to leap.

The Doctor pulls out his Screwdriver device. He aims, using a frequency that shuts down the screaming droids that get near. He has bought them some time while the droids reboot to attack again.

"COME ON! MOVE YOUR ASSES!!!" The soldier yells out as he reaches them. The grizzled older veteran shoots Ventress a nasty look "You bring children into a war zone?! What's the matter with you!?" Ventress was too exhausted to respond, but just ran to the gate. She turned and aimed her gun as the screaming droids started up again. She blasted several.

Conradin also covered the escape as the rest of the group ran past the gate. The screaming continued all the way up to the gate as the soldier closed it off. The droids stopped, then sped away, back into the kill zone to wait for new intruders. When the soldier was satisfied that they were safe, he turned to the group, very business like.

"You picked the wrong planet for a vacation, Ventress! I'm surprised you had the guts to come back here after all this time!" The soldier pulled out a thick death stick and lit it. He puffed a few breaths off of it as he stared hard at them. Ventress was taken aback.

"Excuse me?" she replied "Do we even know each other?" She looked him over, baffled.

The soldier snorted in contempt. He walked past them "Come on. Let me get you guys inside before we're spotted."

"Spotted by whom?" Conradin asked "What happened here? How do you know Asajj?"

They entered a large, wrecked house. An alien design, it must have been beautiful in better days. It reminded Ahsoka of the kind of homes on Naboo. She looked at the furniture and the somewhat neatly swept floor.

This older man kept the place as well as he could, but she could tell he has lived alone for a long time. "We are all grateful that you helped us. We crashed here after being attacked by pirates....what were those droids?"

"Yes" Barriss added "I had never heard such horrible noises. Who would invent such a terrible weapon?"

"Those are what we call 'Screamers'." The old man puffed on his death stick "Invented by the people of this world to defend them against invaders. These screamer droids were created as a necessity. As long as you stay out of their programmed zone, you're fine."

The Doctor motioned to the outside "Who are these pirates? Are they the ones you fought against?"

"The Star devils. We weren't fighting them originally, but they came along to pick the planet clean after we got trashed by Count Dooku." The soldier replied "They're Mercenaries working for the Seps. And dead good ones, too. Although I'm suprised..." He looked at Asajj "I thought you were all one big happy family."

"look," Asajj frowned "I don't know who you are or what happened here, but I'm not with those guys. I'm not with the Separatists anymore. We're grateful, but I don't have time for your snark."

"Not with the Separatists anymore?" He looks at her in disbelief "You don't remember any of this, do you? This planet? These people? It has completely slipped your mind!" he shook his head and walked to the pantry. He brought back some soft foods for them to eat. Ventress stared back at him.

"Who are you?" She asked cautiously "You're not a clone trooper, and you don't seem to bear any Republic markings. Did we fight on this planet? I've been to so many worlds....I can't keep them all straight anymore. In any case....I am no longer whoever you thought I was." She ate some fruits that he placed down for her.

"You are on Beaudicca-3....a world once inhabited by the Nemon. I'm Colonel Hendricksson. I used to lead a regiment of Infantry from Ord Cantrell. We were Republic, but we were called in to help the Nemon against you Sep bastards. The few Clone Troops that were here were ambushed and killed. Count Dooku was trying to blackmail the Nemon into joining the CIS. He wanted their advanced technology for his droid armies. The Nemon refused, and fought almost to the last of their kind. I'm surprised you don't remember, Asajj Ventress....because after he bombed this civilization back to the stone age, he sent YOU to finish up on any survivors!"

Ventress was shocked. Beaudicca-3. It was starting to sound familiar. And Ventress was starting to remember unpleasant things. She looked at Ahsoka and Barriss. She suddenly felt sick and horrified. They stared back, concerned.

"Are you ok, Asajj?" Barriss tried to go to her, but Ventress jerked back a few steps, looking at them all.

"What is it!? Ventress?" Ahsoka looked at her, a little scared. "Did you fight here?"

Ventress looked at Hendricksson. He suddenly realized she was not the same person who came to this planet early in the Clone War. She had completely forgotten what had happened here.

"Come with me." He went to a door on the other side of the room. It looked as if it led outside, but something froze Ventress to her spot in terror.

"No." she whispered. She started to shake.

Colonel Hendricksson would have none of it. "Ventress....COME HERE!" he barked.

The Doctor and Conradin walked up on either side of her. "What is going on?" the Doctor looked at her. She looked at them, and walked towards Hendricksson.

"You're afraid?" The Colonel tilted his head in surprise.

She did not answer back, but seemed to brace herself. It must have been almost 3 years ago when she came here. I was all so fuzzy. She fought in so many battles, killed many clone troopers, helped suppress many worlds. Why was she terrified now?

"Maybe this will jog your memory" He opened the door. Outside was a huge public square. Ventress slowly walked out. The others followed. Ventress scanned the area. There was wreckage every where, and scorch marks from combat. In the center of the square was a large white statue of a woman, raising her arms to the sky. The sculpture included two children and a plaque with alien writing. There were scorched shadows of some of the walls of the surrounding buildings.

The more she looked, the more her jaw dropped. She remembered this place, and they were not good memories. "Oh no" she thought back to a different time, when she was a different person. A Sith killer.

"It can't be" She looked, and remembered the battle she fought in this very square. She could see the Nemon now. They were a race of lizard people, very advanced. But it didn't matter at the time. Dooku had ordered their extermination. And a young Asajj Ventress was his lethal weapon. She was his vengeance. And she sowed death upon the Nemon.

She remembered the armored Nemon with their carbine blasters, and fleeing civilians. Separatist tanks steamrolled into the city, droid troops marched over bodies. And Asajj was there, cutting down the enemy soldiers. She was skilled, she was deadly. And nobody escaped her wrath. The present day Ventress cursed under her breath, and passed judgement on the younger Ventress as a monster. She remembered faces, pain, blood. The Hell of war. A memory blocked away after she burned through her anger and revenge. All that was left was remorse, regret.

She subconsciously walked up to the statue. It remained solid, intact after all this time. It, too seemed to express something close to regret.

She held back tears. She could almost hear the Separatist fleet of ships above, bombarding the planet, burning it into the ground. 100.000 years of Nemon growth and development destroyed in less than a week.

Ahsoka and Barriss called out to her, and started towards her. How could she face them now? "Stay back!" She barked. She felt incredible shame and horror. "Please don't come over here!" She looked away from them, and faced the statue. It was odd. The Nemon were a race of lizards, but the statue of their Goddess looked human.

The memories kept flooding in, and refused to stop. It was a massacre, and not just Nemon Soldiers, but women, children, the elderly. All had offended Count Dooku, and all were made to perish. She could hear the roar of the fleet engines, the bombardments around the planet, the weapons of evil that shattered the entire ecology of what was a beautiful world. And she led the attack, she led the Nemon into utter destruction. She closed her eyes, trying to wish it away, but it was there. It happened, and nothing was going to change history.

"Why did you come back?" Hendricksson asked. He had walked up to her as she bowed her face into her hands. He did not quite understand how the merciless Sith Ventress could suddenly now show such weakness, such pain over a past conquest forgotten in the Clone War histories. Somewhere between the conquest and today she had changed, she had gained her soul back. And it felt pain and anguish for a people she never knew. "What are you doing back here?"

 

She sneered, not looking at him, and bit her lip to keep control of her emotions "I don't know." Her imagination must have been running wild. She could actually hear the engines of the Separatist fleet. Then, she looked up. A large cruiser and 4 destroyers of the CIS hovered high above in the polluted clouds.

Hendricksson grabbed her "Time to hide! Get back to the house!" They moved back inside away from the square. Ventress and Hendricksson noticed movement in the square. The armored troops of the Nemon had reappeared. They were marching towards the house.

 

 

Meanwhile, Lux and Katniss were nearing the ruins in the chopper. Fuel was nearly gone but it might be enough to get them there. "LOOK!" Katniss pointed up above. They spotted the Separatists ships i the sky.

"That can't be good!" he replied. He set down to land outside the ruins. Lux and Katniss grabbed what supplies they needed and ran for a series of dunes near the barbed wire border. They found a spot and cloaked themselves under some of the sand to hide.

It was a perfect view of the Town Square near the entrance. He pulled out some binoculars and searched for Ventress or the others. He spotted a shuttle leaving the command ship, and making its way to the square. Strange soldiers in armor appeared in the square. "There they are!" He spots Asajj, Ahsoka, Conradin, Barriss and the Doctor exiting one of the ruined houses. "I don't see Riddick or Vincent...." he frowned.

He continued to watch the activity going on, but also zoomed in on Ahsoka to make sure she was ok. The group looked worried as the shuttle landed. Count Dooku exited the craft. Lux cursed.

Dooku looked over the tired, exhausted group. Though they had not been on the planet long, they were worn down by the experience, the loss, and now a surprise visit from the greatest tyrant of the Clone Wars. 

"Well, well well......My dear Asajj Ventress. How you have fallen far. And what a motley crew of comrades! Ahsoka Tano, and Barriss Offee! Were they to be your new Apprentices perhaps?" Nobody spoke, or could look at him.

Colonel Hendricksson aimed his rifle in disbelief. Droid guards and Nemon soldiers had surrounded them, but Dooku was in control. "Put down your gun, Colonel. We have a truce now."

"What are you talking about?" Hendricksson looked at all the Nemon. He was shocked that none of them took action. They quietly watched behind Dooku, but none of them aimed their guns at him. "What are you waiting for? It's Count Dooku and his sidekick The Phantom Queen you all used to moan about! You just going to stand there!?"

A group of reptilian representatives in white robes came up, parting their way through the soldiers. One of the elder looking Nemon was the one Ventress spotted in her binoculars out in the desert. "I am elder Varda. I am very sorry, Asajj Ventress" he addressed her "Our council has seen you return to the planet. They have decided to take action."

"What has happened?" Ventress looked up at the Nemon elders.

One of the Nemon elders steps forward. "Asajj Ventress! You are charged with crimes against the Nemon people! You are charged with crimes during a period of war. It is time to begin your trial while we still can hold one."

"Yes! A trial of the war criminal Ventress will cement an ever lasting friendship between us, Elder Pardek!" Dooku grinned and looked at them. Ventress was shocked at what she heard. "You're siding with each other? But Dooku....you attacked these people!"

"No, Asajj." he grinned even more "YOU did!" Before anyone could protest, the guards hauled them away. Dooku sneered as Conradin went by. He nearly had them all in his grasp.

Lux watched, and looked over the perimeter as the Nemon took the prisoners to an underground bunker. He sighed "I've got to figure out a way into the ruins"

Katniss held his shoulder and pointed to the barbed wire zone "That's a danger spot." I'm not sure what is in that area, but it's fenced off for a reason." She pulled out some water and rationed a small sip for herself.

 

 

The group was marched down deep underground. The Nemon and Dooku discussed terms of some kind as Ventress, Hendricksson and the others were placed in a holding room. "This is nuts!" Hendricksson balked "We fought the Sepratists! Why would they want an alliance now? Unless Dooku found a way to throw you under the bus and make the CIS look completely innocent" he looked at Ventress.

She shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past him. Deception is an artform to him." Ventress looked back at Hendricksson, puzzled "A moment before you called me....the Phantom Queen. What kind of nickname is that? Do these people actually call me that?"

Hendricksson looked at them with caution. "The Nemon....well, they're a religious sort of people. They have a legend, based on that statue in the square. The Phantom Queen. Kind of represents a Goddess of Death. There's a prophecy they have, though it's all a bunch of mysticism."

Ventress closed her eyes and sat down to relax "Goddess of Death. How appropriate." She looked at Ahsoka and Barriss. She felt ashamed of her history. "You both know what I once was."

Ahsoka sat down beside her and put an arm around her "That is the past. You made it the past when we left Coruscant."

"Well, kid, some people don't forget so easily" Hendricksson lit up another deathstick "The Nemon....they were practically wiped out by your friend here." He made sure he got everyone's attention "You see, people, there are only a hundred and fifty Nemon here. Not just in the facility, or the territory. Do you understand? There are ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY Nemon. As in THAT IS ALL that are left of this civilization. Whatever kind of person Ventress is now....well, she must face destiny for the crimes of the Ventress from three years ago."

Ventress bowed her head "He's right. This will be the shortest trial ever. There's no contest to it. I'm guilty of horrible crimes" Barriss sat down next to her.

"But you're not the same person! Surely they will see that! They....They will see that!? Won't they?" Barriss shuddered a little. She thought back on her own trial. In her own mind, she had considered her crimes against the Jedi. Surely Ventress didn't deserve this after all they had been through. But the truth could be seen on Hendricksson's face. Barriss had killed a few trusted friends and allies. Ventress brought an entire race to the brink of extinction....

Ventress frowned and held them both close. "I'm going to confess, and they're going to punish me. That's all there is. I will make sure that you guys are made to wait here. I don't want you to hear what happened. I think it's best you don't hear it. I committed terrible acts. And when it is over and they carry my body away-"

"-What!?" Ahsoka stopped her "Don't say that! We can win this trial! They will see you are different! You saved us! You have good in you! You proved you could change-"

"-And by accepting this punishment, I will prove it. But I must accept punishment. The old Ventress would have snuck away and let you all to rot here. No, Ahsoka. I must face my Destiny." Ventress held them close.

Ahsoka felt a little shock, and perhaps tried to deny what she was hearing, tried to deny it had to end this way. "I want you to take care of the others. Get them off this world, escape if possible. Once I'm gone, Dooku won't hesitate to have you all killed."

Ahsoka hugged her close, getting upset. "How many more times must we face death? How many more times will people come after us!? It's not fair. We were going to change.....but nobody will leave us in peace!"

"You will find your courage, Ahsoka. After all....you're the one who helped me find mine." Ventress leaned her head to Ahsoka's and Barriss'. They had grown close very quickly, in spite of their history, and the differences that separated them in the war.

Conradin went up to Hendricksson "I heard Dooku talking about finding a treasure for the Nemon. And more about Ventress being the Phantom Queen. Is that all a part of their religion?"

Hendricksson gave a slight shrug "It's tricky trying to figure it out. I'm just a merc. I was brought here to help defend the planet when the Clone troopers were still getting their feet wet in the early stages of the war. The rest of my men are either dead, or captured and imprisoned on some far off world doing slave labor. The rest who survived hightailed it back to the inner rim. I've been looking out for the Nemon, but they got all reclusive on me after the first year of surviving the desolation of Beaudicca-3. From what I understand, The Phantom Queen came to destroy the Nemon, but may also play a different part. The treasure is just some metaphorical story of repentance or rebirth. Something...."

The Elder Varda, overhearing them as he entered, corrected him "Not just a metaphor, my good Colonel. It is real. A real treasure. And I suspect this 'Alliance' Dooku proposes is to gain access to it and horde it for himself."

Hendricksson spit out his death stick and got into Varda's face "Why would the Elders Ally themselves with the man who destroyed their world? It doesn't make sense!"

Varda looked at him with sympathy. "They have nothing left to lose believing in his proposal. Plus....Ventress' return has created a stir. Dooku has convinced them the attack on our world was entirely Ventress' doing, against the wishes of the *peace-loving* Separatists. I'm afraid I can only do so much to remind them that Dooku threatened us with death if we refused to cooperate."

"How can we stop this sham of a trial?" the Doctor gritted his teeth. He hated injustice with a passion, and a huge injustice was taking place.

Varda shook his head "Ventress will go before the elders and be offered a choice. Instant death....or to face the Lord of the Dead, The great Eihort."

Ventress went over to Hendricksson and Varda. What is the 'great Eihort'? And can you guarantee the safety of my friends?"

"The Great Eihort is a horrible beast that has inhabited certain deep places of our world for many millenia. A monstrous being that is intelligent yet amoral. It's pretty much a death sentence to be cast into the labyrinth of Eihort. When he catches you, and he will.....he offers you a choice. Death or to be a carrier"

"A carrier?" Ventress raised an eyebrow.

Varda looked away. "To carry its babies inside you, until they eat their way through you. It is a painful death."

Ventress shook her head, and her heart raced with a little fear. "So, my choices are death in the courtroom, death from Eihort, or death from its babies. Terrific."

Varda put his hand on her shoulder "But you are different from others who would face Eihort! You are the Phantom Queen, and I believe there is a different fate in store for you..." She looked at him, confused, waiting for an explanation. "The Prophecy of the Morrigu says the Phantom Queen will become greater than what she was before. You will save us. save the Nemon people. The Nemon, even in these dark times, still believe in beauty, still believe in greater things. We still have love, and when you confess there will be Forgiveness to cleanse you of your past. It will be the turning point in your life. You will face the Eihort and triumph"

She sighed, depressed "Sure. All one hundred and fifty of you will have forgiveness in your hearts. Fine. Varda, I appreciate your support. I appreciate that you seem to stay positive in all this, but let's try to view reality as the grim pile of garbage that it really is."

The guards entered. "It is time, Asajj Ventress!" They aimed their guns. Varda stood back to give her room. Everyone becanme tense. Ahsoka and Barriss ran up and clutched Ventress, a futile gesture to keep her from leaving.

"You can't take her!" Ahsoka pleaded with the Nemon "She's....not the same person! She's not!!" Ventress closed her eyes, trying to stay strong.

Barriss hugged her "You were going to keep me from falling. You promised! They can't take you! What's going to happen now!? I was strong maybe once....but you have been there to catch me..."

Ventress looked at them, looked at Conradin and the Doctor. Conrad came over and gently took Barriss in his arms, pulling her back as the guards prepared to take her away.

Ahsoka also backed away. Ventress looked at Varda. He smiled, trying to assure her there was some hope in what she was doing. Ventress looked back at her friends. "Barriss, Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others. Past and present. And by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future. Ahsoka, I believe there is another world waiting for us after this trial. A better world. And I will be waiting for all of you there."

The guards escort her away, with Varda following. Ahsoka hugs the Doctor in despair. They were four now, and nothing could stop fate from striking them down one by one. Barriss held onto Conradin, and he hugged her tightly. What would become of them now that Dooku held their lives in his hands?


	3. Mystery Planet Chapter 3

Lux had waited long enough, hidden in the scorching hot Dune. "I've got a plan to get in" he looked over at Katniss. "I'll get the chopper. I'm gonna make a path through that barbed wire, and when I do, be ready to run through it and find a place to hide. The droids will be focused on me, so you should be able to get in.

"Wait!" Katniss looked through her binoculars "Look!" They both observed the square again. the droids brought out two more prisoners and marched them by the statue of the Phantom Queen. One was Obi-wan Kenobi. The other was a rather good looking older man in a rough outfit, wearing a brown shirt. "That's my step-dad....and he's with a Jedi."

"General Kenobi!" Lux gasped. His mind raced "If HE'S here it means the Republic won't be too far behind. That means we gotta move fast if we are going to free our friends. This place is going to become a real war zone very soon!"

"I don't have many arrows, and they're no good against the droid troops. I don't know how we are going to go up against Dooku's elite!"

"Leave that to me!" Lux grinned.

Katniss looked at him, unamused. "Damned fool, I KNEW you were going to say that!"

Lux shrugged, figuring we all had to die of something. "Who's the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?" They got up from their spot and ran back to the chopper.

 

The guards led Asajj down the long, darkly lit corridor. They pass several glass encased jail cells, each with a prisoner. Asajj viewed them with horror. Each prisoner looked emaciated, gaunt, like a hollowed out ghoul. Some were human, some were humanoid aliens. All of them wore the tattered uniforms of the Star devil pirates. "These men were all vicious pirates, captured by us in several conflicts."

"What have you done to them?" Her face almost felt pity.

Varda looked at them and her with sympathy. "They were put on trial, and each of them chose to face Eihort." She turned to him in shock. They continued to walk slowly to the trial area, but each prisoner they past looked worse and worse. "Eihort gave them all the choice. Those who did not choose to be crushed to death were returned to us. They await the birthing process."

The last prisoner at the end started screaming. He fell to the floor of his quarantined cell, convulsing, jerking around in agony. Hundreds of little lumps moved around his body. He was literally being eaten alive.....from the inside. Ventress' face went even whiter in absolute terror of what she was witnessing. The prisoner writhed about, parts of him started bulging forth, pulsating with what looked like thousands of parasites eating their way out of him. The babies of Eihort finally exploded forth, busting out of his flesh, erupting like little squid-like spiders. the hapless pirate screamed one last time as his body was swarmed by thousands of gooey arachnid creatures.

One of the guards finally presses a button, unleashing a fire that engulfs the cell. The quarantined room has been cleansed of all living things, but the visual horror could not be unseen.

Ventress screamed in terror, and cried hard. She covered her face with her shaking hands at the sight. She slumped to her knees and could not move, so great was the terror. "Just shoot me now. Please, I'm guilty! DO YOU HEAR ME!!!? I'M GUILTY! SHOOT ME!! I DESERVE IT!! I deserve it...."

The guards waited patiently. Varda leaned down and put his arms around her. " I know, it's a terrible fate for those who fall to Eihort....but you must have faith. Our Prophecy has something better to show. The council no longer feels it can be fulfilled, but you may be the last hope we have."

It took her a few minutes to recover. It was all too much. For a few seconds, she had wished beyond all hope she had stayed with Riddick and died in the belly of the Sarlaac, to be slowly digested. "How am I supposed to do that? I'm the phantom Queen who destroyed your planet."

Varda helped her up "In order for the Nemon to have faith, you must believe it. that you will take flight with Badb and Macha, and forsake your old crown of hate. I have observed you since you landed here, and I know you have a new heart. I've seen how you try to take care of these strangers. You must show this to the council. You must have courage."

She was still shaky. Her legs would hardly move, feeling like lead weights as she was led closer to the open space where she would have judgement passed upon her. Ventress' heart now knew real fear, and uncertainty. Why couldn't they just execute her like most civilized people would do?

 

Back in the cell, the others waited. Ahsoka leaned against the wall, unable to look at the others, she felt helpless. The Doctor stood nearby, hoping to find the right words to comfort her, but he couldn't.

Colonel Hendricksson sat on a small bench near the entrance. He waited, and relaxed. No point in getting riled up and bounce off the walls. They were stuck here.

Barriss sat near a corner, wrapped up in Conradin's arms. They both stared ahead, but he held her close. "Dooku will have us killed, but I am ready" She finally contemplated. "At least you are here. I don't what I'd do if you hadn't agreed to help us. Though all of this....all of it is my fault. I couldn't take the war, and Ahsoka rescued me, but now we all will die. None of you deserved this. You all tried to help and I have condemned us to death. I'm so sorry you and your friends had to be dragged into this trap. Vincent, Riddick, Lux....now Asajj....and Ahsoka....the Doctor....and you. How could I have failed you all so badly?"

"Shhh, Don't talk like this" He whispered in her ear. "You have to say strong. I have been, and always shall be here by your side."

She looked at him, and sighed "You would stay here with a traitor who tried to kill her best friend...."

"I would stay with the one person who made me stronger when this war nearly tore me apart." He nuzzled his face against hers, getting quieter. "Dooku once had a dream. To fix the Republic and fight the Sith. I believed in that dream. He became corrupted and fell into a dark place. I guess war does that to us all sooner or later. I felt despair, felt that the war could never be won. I felt I was losing my soul....I am grateful I met you. I still remember, in that arena on Geonosis how strong you were in the Force. You fought and behaved like a true Jedi for so long. Even when I was stuck serving the Sepratists and Count Dooku....you were a beacon for the Republic and the values we fought to restore, and I could not help but admire that from a distance. We felt it together on Geidi Prime when you saved me from death and we thought the planet would be wiped out, but you never gave up." She sensed his heart, and knew he was pouring out his soul.

The moment was interrupted by the entrance of Count Dooku. He walked to the center of the room, his cape sweeping about. "Touching final moments?" he grinned "Enjoy it for another minute!"

"What do you want, Dooku!?" Ahsoka voiced her contempt.

Dooku didn't miss a beat "You will all be taken into my custody. the men will, of course, be sent to Cato Nemoidia to face their own trial and execution." Dooku looked over at Conrad as he held Barriss. Dooku sneered "You will face a particularly nasty punishment, my former apprentice!"

Conradin grimaced "Hey, I'm your huckleberry"

Dooku looked at Ahsoka with a menacing stare "The ladies will accompany me to my ship. There, you will be given medical attention to all your wounds and injuries. Then, I will train you in the art of pain and servitude. You will become my *new* apprentices!"

"You've got to be joking!!" Ahsoka almost yelled "I'll make your life so miserable you'll be begging the Republic to accept your surrender!" Ahsoka sneered back. Barriss turned to face him. She wiped her eyes and stared at Dooku. She didn't respond, but Dooku could see rebellion in her eyes.

Dooku walked out of the room "I'm late for the trial. I will give Ventress one final knife in the back before she is sent to her death.....Then....I'm coming back for you. Make peace with your Gods, for no one will save you this time! Guards! Prepare them for the shuttles!" He exited, but Ahsoka wasn't ready to give up so easily. The droids marched them all out to the square.

 

Asajj finally entered the arena where the elders held court. They were in the middle of proclaiming a lone man on the arena ground guilty. "Kastor lieberung!" One elder called out. Ventress noticed that although the pirate stood defiantly, she sensed the fear in him. The elder continued "You have been found guilty of looting our planet, murdering an unarmed civilian or our dwindling population, and you have been found guilty. You have a chance to choose your punishment. You can die with the dignity of our last firing squad of troops, or...." Ventress held her breath, though the Nemon looked rather mundane in this dramatic moment "....you can choose to meet Eihort in the land of the dead below our world. Though you may live longer in the maze, there is much joy beauty and painlessness in the immediate execution we offer"

The pirate, Kastor, spit on the ground in contempt. He was only sorry he got caught in his crimes. "I choose the maze! I will dig my way out and be free!"

The elder was not impressed "You will try."

A large, ornate gold door portcullis behind the prisoner had lifted up. It revealed a large roundish tunnel, a tunnel that looked as if it were hollowed out by something large, almost a little bigger than a bantha. The pirate did not smile, but was apprehensive as he stared down the tunnel. It was surprisingly well lit but phosphorescent slimy substances. But it still branched into a cyclopian maze that stretched in all directions. He ran in, taking his chances. The door closed behind him, cracking into the floor with thunder that sent shivers down Asajj's spine.

Varda put his arm around her in comfort. "All you need do is confess. You will be declared guilty and offered the choice. You are no mere pirate. Do not think of this as a hopeless thing. You are designed for a greater purpose!" he smiled.

"Why are you so kind to me?" she asked "Why are you doing this?" He smiled gently, like a grandfather. He didn't have time to talk. The elder sitting with the council above called out.

"Phantom Queen! You have returned to our planet!" The council and all the Nemon guards chanted a small phrase in their ancient language. It echoed in the hall as Ventress walked to the center of the arena for her trial. The elder continued "You are a special case, indeed. You may not be aware of our culture, but there is a beauty in the justice we seek."

She snorted a little with a sarcastic expression "There's always beauty in getting revenge for your people."

"No, not revenge." The councilman corrected "We seek justice. Not only for the dead, and the dying..." he glanced around him at the others "But justice that you may find inside of you. You are aware of why you are here?"

She nodded "Yes..."

"Do you wish to confess to the crimes of Genocide, destruction of property and the environment? To the three billion counts of murder?"

She almost answered when Count Dooku stepped out of the shadows "She most certainly DOES!" Ventress' heart sank some more. Could this get any worse? All she wanted was to confess and get it over with. Dooku relished in stretching out the trial to maximize her agony.

 

The guards led Ahsoka and the others out into the square. Conradin saw Obi-wan and recognized his friend, Captain Mal. "Malcolm!" He called out "you're alive!"

Mal smiled a little "I was too pretty to die I guess."

Conradin and Mal faced each other as the group waited "You ok? Kat?"

Mal nodded his head "I threw her into an escape pod. She's around here somewhere, probably mad as hell at me....but I'll take that over the alternative"

Ahsoka ran up to Obi-wan and hugged him "They captured you too!"

"Only for the moment. it's all part of my master plan. get captured, then..." Everyone waited for him to finish. Obi-wan shrugged, surprised he had their attention "....well, I'm still figuring it out as I go. In the meantime, I understand we are all being sent to our deaths? Sounds depressing"

Conradin nodded, with some seriousness, but also gratitude that Obi-wan's sense of humor had not diminished "Just us men."

Ahsoka looked at him with urgency "Dooku is planning on taking Barriss and myself. I think he means to torture us! Turn us to the darkside." Obi-wan nodded, understanding. Ahsoka put her hand on his shoulder to reassure him "We will be ok. We'll figure out an escape! I won't let him succeed!"

"I know" Obi-wan smiled. He took a moment to smile at Barriss. She wasn't sure how to take his expression "I hope you are doing well, Barriss Offee." He said gently. Barriss felt awkward, but smiled politely. Obi-wan looked around "Ventress?"

Ahsoka frowned "She's on trial. She attacked this world three years ago. It doesn't look good."

Their thoughts were interrupted by the shuttle engines warming up and a delegation of Nemon citizens and guards walking towards the statue in the square. One of the guards went to talk to the droids "We are conducting a wedding today. Please shut down your shuttle craft and give us some space. we do not want your war here. Let us conduct the ceremony quickly, then you may take away your prisoners." The droids were taken aback by the request, but give in for the moment. Dooku was taking his time anyway, relishing in tormenting Ventress.

Everyone backs away. The wedding crowd gathers in front of the statue. The droids watch the Nemon carefully, but are generally calm. The prisoners watch from behind wedding crowd as the "husband and wife" approach the statue.

"It's nice to see traditions still celebrated, even in a place such as this." Obi-wan contemplated.

Hendricksson narrated the scene as the gang watched "The Nemon believe in beauty above all other desires. Beauty of truth, beauty of honor. Not revenge, but Justice. not war, but defense of the people. Not wealth for the sake of greed, but as a doorway to the future. Marriage is the most incredible example of Beauty, the beauty of loyalty.....The couple is asking the Phantom Queen for permission to be happy together. It's a frikkin statue, so usually the answer is yes."

Conradin and Barriss, standing in the back of the group, looked at each other and as Hendricksson went on. Conradin smiled at her. Barriss tried to smile back, but looked down. "It's a lovely ceremony" She said quietly.

Conradin nodded "Everyone should get a chance to try it at least once." His eyes brightened as he looked at her. "It's encouraging to see that the Nemon still celebrate life in the middle of all this death."

 

Changes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FIPWt…

 

The Nemon male and female took turns talking, they spoke vows of the Nemon culture, of the beauty within each living thing, that hope would never die for those who seek it.

The wedding crowd disperse, ready to return to the bunker. The droids resume their duty to separate the group. Barriss and Conradin looked at each other, as if to never see each other again

"Barriss..." he couldn't finish his thoughts. He was scared.

"I know. I know...." she replied "Always.....we'll be together always." The droids grabbed them again and pulled them to different shuttles.

Asajj Ventress stood silently before the elders. Dooku had thoroughly destroyed her reputation in front of them. She let him. She felt she deserved it. She was ready.

One by One, the elders announced to find her guilty. That word rang out and echoed in the great hall. It was a ceremony that was more respectful to her than Dooku's crass display of her crimes. He even provided holovid proof of her crimes. He even provided a history of crimes on every other world during the war.

She was overwhelmed by grief, but Varda put his arm around her. She could not help but think of the Nemon as being so....alien. Their treatment was completely unexpected. as if they knew this day would come, and followed it, followed this strange mystical prophecy that became the center of their lives. Though she had no idea what the prophecy was supposed to be or how she was even going to fulfill it.

They opened the great door without offering her the choice. they seemed to know she would choose to face the Great Eihort, Lord of the Underworld. Asajj was terrified, but turned to face the door.

Dooku gets ready to conclude his participation in the trial "I thank you, Council Elders of the Nemon! You have brought justice to this world! And I am grateful to have helped. I will take the information to your great legacy. The Treasure of Nemon prophecy!! I will help restore your place in the galaxy!"

Dooku quickly marched over to Ventress, to press the knife of his victory one last time "Your friends will taste death, Asajj. And the two Jedi shall become my trophies!" he whispered. "You thought you could escape, thought you could find happiness! It is an illusion. Take despair in knowing there is no comfort you can have that I cannot take away. Ahsoka and Barriss shall be instruments of my revenge!" He grinned and walked away. Ventress would not look at him, but stared at the door. She did not see, but could sense the blatant image of Dooku wiping a little drool from his mouth. 

Ventress started walking for the door, like a condemned person going to execution. Varda called out to her as Dooku got his reward from the Council and left. "You will forsake your old life, Ventress" Varda said quietly "The Council thinks your life ends here, but I have foreseen a different way. You have a new life And when you take your new crown....you will no longer be the Phantom Queen. You will escape, Asajj, and you will find the treasure Dooku greedily covets. You will find it at the coordinates we call 'Seven Max Triad!"

She entered the hollow. She turned and faced Varda. The door began to close. "Varda....If I make it through this, I will make some changes. They're long overdue. I'll fix my mistakes. That is my promise to you." The door sealed shut.

 

Dooku walked triumphantly out of the bunker as the others were rounded up. He could not wait to start the training of his new Apprentices. The screaming on the perimeter started up again. Dooku knew the screamers were only limited to the zone, but he wondered for a second who would be stupid enough....Then he heard the explosions! Missiles launched at the droid forces. Missiles from the air. Then he saw the chopper piloted by Lux, maneuvering at combat speeds while droids tried to shoot it down. There was a young woman in the chopper. She leaps for a rooftop, running for the men's shuttle

"Bonteri!" Dooku hissed. He ran for his shuttle craft with the female Jedi. More explosions rocked the area around the square, droids scurried for cover as Lux flew very low. Dooku went past the first shuttle with the men. "Get that ship out of here!" he barked. The first shuttle prepared to close the cargo hatch where the prisoners were kept.

Katniss jumped from the rooftops to the ground and bolted for the shuttle.

The men were shocked and surprised at her agility to dodge laser blasts and tackle the nearest droid at the cargo entrance.

"Kat?" Captain Mal called out. The engines of the shuttle started warming up. Hendricksson didn't hesitate. He attacked another droid, and soon everyone was involved in a brawl.

"Dad!" Katniss yelled back as she swung her bow at the droid, knocking its head off. "I think this rescue deserves a raise in my weekly allowance!" The ship started to rumble.

Mal was not impressed. "I think this rescue was a rather stupid idea and that you should be grounded!" He shoved the droid he wrestled with. It rolled away on the ground. Mal grabbed his step-daughter's hand and ran for the door "Let's go people!" He reached for the table where his guns were kept. Everything happened too fast. The shuttle started taking off. Captain Malcolm, Katniss, and Hendricksson ran off the shuttle. Obi-wan, Conradin and the Doctor tried, but were eventually overwhelmed by more droids that piled up over them as more explosions and laser blasts rocked the square.

"Obi-wan!! I think this is yours!" Malcolm had grabbed the lightsaber from the table and tossed it to the Jedi. He broke free long enough to catch it in mid air. He activated it and started cutting down droids.

"Thank you, Mal!" Kenobi grinned "Get your daughter safety!" Malcolm stepped away from the shuttle. The craft lifted off, leaving Him, Kat and Hendricksson on the ground.

"Come on!" Hendricksson motioned to follow "I know a safe place!" Hendricksson had a droid blaster, and mowed down several droids to clear a path to safety.

Ahsoka exited her shuttle and saw Lux causing havok around the square, giving her the biggest smug bastard grin. "LUX!!!!" She yelled. Barriss came up behind her and smiled, relieved that Lux Bonteri had made it. Lux turned and saw them. More droids tried to shoot him down. Lux lowered the chopper to almost the ground level and slowly, carefully tilted it forward, aiming the chopper blades at everything in front of him. The droids scattered, some of them ripped to pieces by the chopper's unstoppable momentum. Unstoppable, that is, until Dooku stepped in front of him. Dooku released a wave of bright lightning at him. The Pirate chopper starts to fry up and explode. Lux veers away, leaving a trail of smoke. Ahsoka tries to run out to him, but Dooku grabs both Jedi and shove them back into the shuttle. Ahsoka has enough time to see Lux leap to safety as the chopper crashes. He looks back at her as the shuttle doors close, calling out to her desperately. The hatches close, the shuttle takes off. He was so close. So close.

 

Dooku shoves Ahsoka and Barriss against the side of the cargo bay. "A noble effort, but it was not meant to be!" Dooku blasts the both of them with a small dose of lightning for several seconds. Barriss and Ahsoka are sent to their knees in burning pain, burning in the power of the darkside. He stops, letting them catch their breath. "I have the power to control my lightning. I can measure it in small doses and large. I can measure how many years I have taken off your life. I've just taken one year of your life away. Pray I do not subtract more."

Ahsoka rubbed her neck and face, but sneered defiantly. "Lux is still alive, and he has already disrupted your plans!" she cursed at him. Barriss was still catching her breath.

Dooku was unmoved "He can never disrupt my plans for you, Ahsoka Tano. You will be the instrument of my revenge against Skywalker! You will fall, and you will become a powerful Sith, destined to rule with me once we have destroyed my old master!"

"We'll never join you!" Barriss replied. Dooku blasted her with more lightning. Barriss screamed for several long seconds, while using the Force to keep Ahsoka pinned to the wall.

Dooku stopped and marched up to her "I have just taken five years of your life away! Shall we go for TEN!? TWENTY!?"

"HEY!" Ahsoka shouted angrily "OVER HERE! You want Skywalker, you have to go through me! You're going to torture me, Dooku! You're going to HAVE to toture ME....." Ahsoka tried to stall, to draw him away from Barriss. Dooku just smiled.

"But you see, Ahsoka...I will get you to fall into Darkness and become a Sith by making HER fall into darkness" Dooku caressed Barriss' face with crusty old hands. "You fell once, you tasted the POWER of the Darkside, Barriss Offee! I will help you taste it again!" He saw fear in her eyes, and Dooku grinned. He pulled his hands away, and they crackled a bright blue with lightning. He blasted her some more. pain shot through her with such intensity she screamed for almost a full minute. Dooku could feel the anger build up in Ahsoka. And he sensed hate as well. He stopped his attack and turned back to Ahsoka as Barriss slumped to the ground, coughing and gasping.

"You see, Ahsoka Tano, there is no victory for you! I can feel your hate, and soon it will consume you. I will turn your friend into a Sith, which will turn you into a Sith. Together, you will destroy Skywalker and the Jedi! And your precious Bonteri will not save you!"

He turned to Barriss and whispered in her ear "No couple in a hundred years has ever enjoyed happily ever after! It is a myth! Your Conradin will die. And the more you resist my torture, the further Ahsoka falls. Ahsoka shall become my greatest apprentice, but don't worry....you will be quite useful too" he pawed at her hair and face. His breathing got heavier as he stared at her, and Barriss wondered which was worse-his fiery lightning, or his clammy hands. 

Ahsoka sneered in uncontrolled rage, but knew she had to fight back the urge for revenge.

"You're a madman!" Ahsoka's breathing got restless as a tear rolled down her face. Dooku laughed.

He turned and blasted Barriss again with tremendous power. Barriss shrieked until her voice gave out. Dooku stopped. Ahsoka wanted to beg now, but knew there would be no mercy for either of them. the urge to beg, though, was tearing her apart inside. Dooku Leaned down at Barriss, who was in tears and gasped for breath after such unbelievable pain.

His hand lit up again in the brightest blue, the crackling of his Force power almost deafening. He leaned in. Barriss trembled, and closed her eyes in terror. She braced for the pain. Dooku got up and walked towards her.

Ahsoka gasped, then steeled herself for the attack. Dooku unleashed the full power of the lightning upon her. Ahsoka's screams echoed through the shuttle for the next ten minutes. An eternity of pain.


	4. Mystery Planet Chapter 4

Dooku's shuttle landed on his command ship. He exited, followed by a very obedient looking Barriss Offee carrying a nearly unconscious Ahsoka Tano. The lesson Dooku wished to impart had been brutal indeed.

"You know," Ahsoka looked up at Barriss, "I feel pretty terrible." Barriss had initiated some of her healing power, but was completely emotionless and did not respond. She looked down at Ahsoka with eyes that carried a hint of yellow in them.

"Follow me!" Dooku ordered. She complied without hesitation. They walked down a hall and into a command center. Droids were bustling about, but ignored them.

Barriss knelt dutifully while holding Ahsoka, who was still barely conscious. Dooku looked at them and smiled. "Ready for the big reveal?" He knelt before a large, table sized communicator.

The image of another Count Dooku was revealed. "My Master!" The first Dooku bowed. Barriss' jaw HIT. THE. FLOOR.

The Dooku on the other end waved a hand. "Report!" The Dooku before them was not a fake, nor an imposter, but more of a double, more like.....

"A Clone!" Barriss whispered. Dooku seemed to have been taking advantage of this technology from Kamino. There could be hundreds of him; thousands, scattered all across the galaxy, doing his will. And each was Force sensitive! An army of Dookus!

"We have convinced the Nemon to help us. They have punished Ventress with a ceremonial death. I have her two friends here. Barriss has embraced the darkness quickly, but I must work on the puppy called Ahsoka!" The clone reported.

"What of the treasure of the Nemon!? Have you discovered it yet!?" The real Dooku inquired.

Clone Dooku responded with enthusiasm "We have been given the proper coordinates by the Nemon, who were very cooperative. A shame they will not live to see our triumph!"

Ahsoka listened, pretending to be knocked out. Barriss clutched her closely as they listened, her eyes glazed over with the power of darkness. She watched the two Dookus plot together, and understood the power of deception. It was certainly more powerful than what she had been taught in the Jedi temple. Those good intentions... The Nemon had good intentions, and now they would be utterly annihilated. Ahsoka had good intentions, and because of her friendship, she would be punished even more. Barriss could feel the power of the two Dookus. Even for a clone, his powers were immense. She wondered how good people with good intentions could ever stop such greed and hate.

"Send the pirates to finish them off!" The Real Dooku had commanded "Take the treasure, train the Padawans and bend them to my will. Report back to me on Serenno."

Clone Dooku bowed, acknowledging that the will of true Dooku would be done. Dooku's image faded, and Clone Dooku laughed viciously "And when we arrive, 'my old Master', you will find out who the truly more powerful Dooku will be!" Barriss took note of the irony. Even the deceivers played games with each other. The darkness was an eternal power struggle... but the winner... oh what power the winners could hold!

Clone Dooku walked to the door "Wait here, Barriss. Make sure Ahsoka stays obedient. I don't want to have to punish her again... not yet."

"Yes... my Master!" She replied. Dooku left. Barriss sighed, trying to keep up appearances. "How are you feeling?" Barriss looked down at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka could barely move after the beating she took from Clone Dooku's Force lightning "Like a can of smashed Jawas."

Barriss went over to a computer console and did a diagnostic check of the ship. "I have found the nearest escape pod for you, Ahsoka"

Ahsoka looked at her, and did not like the implication of that sentence "You mean an escape pod for BOTH of us!"

Barriss sighed, not looking at Ahsoka "Somebody has to warn the Nemon and the others.... Then, somebody needs to sabotage this ship from getting away... Then, somebody is going to kill that bastard!" The yellow tint in Barriss' eyes glowed a little more. The beast within awoke a little stronger.

Obi-wan led Conradin and the Doctor past the cargo bay of the shuttle in the cockpit. He was about to strike when he heard the Clone Dooku address the droids piloting the ship. "... You will return with the fighter squads and destroy the Nemon and the pirates. I want no one left alive!" The droids gave their 'roger roger' as Obi-wan entered the cockpit and decapitated them.

"Sorry, boys! There's a change in schedule!" He took the controls. Conradin and the Doctor entered in behind him. They saw a large Banking Clan Frigate in the distance. "I guess that was to be our ship to take us to trial. Well, they can wait a little longer!"

Obi-wan turned the shuttle around as the others strapped themselves in "You hear him?" Conradin points to the communicator device "He's gonna fry the rest of the Nemon! He's going to finish what he started three years ago!"

Obi-wan grabbed the communicator and retuned the frequency "No worries, we'll warn them. Well land, meet up with the others, and then figure out what to do next. All part of my plan!" He grins.

Conradin gave a snarky grin, then stops to think. "Let's get the girls." Obi-wan looked at him for a moment. "Nobody will be expecting us. Let's land on Dooku's ship and get them off of there!"

Before Obi-wan could answer, the Banking Clan Frigate hailed them. "Shuttle 1138, you are adjusting course! Please realign with the proper course!" A droid voice called out.

Obi-wan reluctantly takes on the communication "Ummm, what?"

The droid voice continues "You have changed your course. Is something wrong?" Obi-wan looks at the others. He wasn't expecting this.

"Ummm, no, we're fine. We had a small weapons malfunction but we're fine now....we're all fine here. Thank you....umm, how are you?"

"We're activating a tractor beam to pull you in." Conradin and the Doctor look at Obi-wan with some distress. Obi-wan fumbles with the communicator.

"Ummm, negative. Negative. We have a radiation leak on board. Give us time to lock it down. Uhhh, large leak, very dangerous!"

The droid on the other end was unconvinced "Who is this? What's your operating number?"

Obi-wan, in frustration, finally just shuts off the communication and sits back, taking a breath. He shakes his head as the tractor beam takes hold of the shuttle and pulls them in. "It was a boring conversation anyway. We're going to have company!"

The Doctor casually pulled out his sonic device "No. No we're not." He aimed it at the controls, beaming his signal to override the signal from the main Frigate. The tractor beam shut down, giving Obi-wan control of the shuttle. Conradin and Obi-wan looked at the Doctor in amazement. The Doctor simply put his feet up on a computer terminal, leaned back in his chair putting his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "Wake me when we get to where we need to go." He grinned.

 

Lux ran to the safe house where Colonel Hendricksson was rearming, along with Malcolm and Katniss. "Katniss! Are you alright!?"

Hendricksson aimed his gun at the boy, then frowned angrily "I know this city may look like a mess to you, boy, but do you think you can knock before running in here!? I could've blown your frikken head off!" Lux put his hands up, trying to calm the soldier down.

Katniss talked everyone down. "It's ok. He's with us, I believe. I had to rescue him from the pirates."

Hendricksson did not give up the frown. "Which is another reason to worry. Your little stunt against Dooku and the Droids was bad enough, but you stole a pirate chopper to get here, made a whizbang of an entrance, and now we are going to be punked from both ends, my friends!"

Lux looked at him confused, and was about to speak, but the colonel marched up to him to read a riot act "You stole a chopper, and the pirates will want revenge. You attacked Dooku, of all people. I'm surprised he hasn't bombed the ruins back into a new stone age. Either way, this place is about to get swarmed and the Nemon will be wiped out because of your reckless stunt!"

Lux was stunned at getting lectured by a man he didn't even know. "Oh, excuse me, I didn't realize my rescue interrupted you plans to be tortured and executed by the Separatists. My friends were being hauled off. I had to do something, which is more than what you were able to do at the time!!"

Malcolm held his hands out as the old Colonel and the young man were about to bring it down. "You know, I could just let you two beat the farkle out of each other for fifteen minutes, and then we'd be right back where we started. How about we skip that and go into the part where we discuss avoiding a new stone age. Hmm?"

Hendricksson and Lux stared a little longer, but both knew they could not waste time. "Ah what the hell." The Colonel lit up another deathstick "You gotta die of something, Right? I will admit kid; that took some serious balls to face down Dooku." Lux nodded, suddenly wondering if maybe he could have been a little more stealthy in his approach. He took the compliment in the meantime.

 

Ventress quietly wondered down an endless tunnel. It was a vast maze of hollowed out tunnels that led everywhere and nowhere. There was no place to climb, no good spot to dig upward. She was trapped and forced to simply wander down one massive, horribly carved passage or another. She walked slowly, without uttering a noise.

She could often hear Kastor in the far distance, echoing his mad rants as he let terror overwhelm his senses. If he was trying to hide from the great Lord Eihort, Kastor was doing a terrible job of it.

In the distance, hundreds and hundreds of meters down one tunnel, she finally spotted a human figure running, and shouting in a crazed fashion. That idiot, Kastor, was making attention for himself. Something had driven him to complete madness. She saw several seconds later what had driven him mad.

A huge, bloated fleshy thing with multiple blobby legs pursued Kastor. It was bigger than two banthas... and it was fast! Even so far away, and though it did not see her, Ventress crouched in terror at the sight of it. It looked huge from the distance, and its voice echoed through the tunnels. Ventress fell to her knees to uselessly hide from it. Kastor and Eihort were out of sight now, but she could hear it talk. Its voice boomed from every direction, like an intelligent but Malevolent God.

"I offer you the gift, pirate" it boomed. "I offer you a chance to redeem your useless life to my will. Take my children, and nurture them...." Kastor begged and pleaded like a raving maniac.

Ventress listened in horror, and could hear him finally cave in, and beg for a few more hours of life. Eihort obliged him. Ventress did not see what happened next...but she could hear the agony of his impregnation. His screams of pain lasted... and lasted, and finally devolved into the lunacy she witnessed in the Nemon prison cells. Kastor was now hysterically mad with the knowledge that he would give birth soon. Ventress clutched her heart in terror. How was she supposed to defeat the God of the Dead? Worse, she saw how fast it was. She could never outrun it.

She sat there, and tried to control her breathing. She hid her face in her hands, just a bit terrified. She could still hear Kastor's screams as Eihort guided him back to the entrance of the maze.

Her terror was increased a hundred fold as she heard him call out to her. Eihort's booming voice echoed from every direction. The maze was his ally. "Rattatakian woman. I can sense your heartbeat, and I can feel your fear. I shall return! You and your friend shall be offered grace and redemption by my will."

She had no idea what the last phrase meant, until a hand grabbed her from behind. She let out a small noise, startled. But her face constricted in a shock and a smile as she turned and stared. Relief washed over her like an avalanche.

It was Riddick.

"I told you I'd be back." He said quietly. Ventress smashed herself into him with the biggest hug she had ever given anyone. He felt slimy, covered in the moistures of the Sarlaac, and he had more than a few scars. Riddick put up a Hell of a fight.

"How did you get here?"

"I had a little help...." Vincent floated in the distance, and he was covered in slime and Sarlaac digestive juices. Ventress became alarmed.

"Are you ok? Did that thing...?" She could only imagine what it was like to be almost a part of a stomach that would digest a person slowly over a thousand years.

Riddick smiled like a fool "I tried cutting my way out and found myself here, in the bowels of Hell. But, we better hurry. I don't like the sound of that thing out there coming to get you." He handed her a knife.

She smiled. At least the odds would be a little more even. "It's Eihort, Lord of the Dead. DON'T let it impregnate you!" She said seriously. Riddick looked at her and resisted any comments about first dates or not being that easy. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at her warning.

"It would take more than dinner and a movie." He almost resisted. Riddick led them back through another tunnel, back to where he came from. Apparently he dug his way through the Sarlaac to the maze of Eihort. Ventress smiled at his tenacity. He was definitely a keeper.

Vincent hovered there, waiting. "Ms Ventress! Very good to see you!" The droid beamed. They looked up at the exit. It was a hole in the side of the maze wall, a little far up, but Vincent could hover them up to it when the time came....if it would come. Eihort had returned, and Eihort was fast.

The thing rumbled up in front of them as they reached the escape hole. Riddick was not fully ready for what he witnessed. A huge, blobby skinned thing with uncertain number of legs and eyes that seemed to... "float" on the surface of the wrinkly, jello skin. The mouth opened and featured a long thin tentacle-like tongue with a needle on the end; a needle for the purpose of injecting its babies into victims.

Ventress crouched into a defensive pose "Vincent, go ahead and lift Riddick first. I got an idea."

"You gotta be joking!" Riddick was not about to leave.

Ventress turned to him as the beast Eihort moved a little closer and whipped around its needle tongue. "Do you trust me, Riddick?" He looked at her. With the goggles on, she could not quite tell his expression, only that she asked the same of him now that he did of her not too long ago. "Do you trust me? I can handle this....now get moving!"

Riddick held onto Vincent. "Honey" he said quietly "I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Vincent picked him up and took him to the hole above them. Ventress could see bits of the Sarlaac's stomach dripping through, just on the other side of the cave wall.

Eihort looked down at her with three of its five floating eyes. "Are you ready to serve me?" It bellowed "I will crush you if you choose, or you may have the honor of giving birth to my divine spawn!"

Ventress suddenly lost all fear. She felt a sense of power and adrenalin. "No...."

Eihort looked at her for a moment. "No, you do not wish to be crushed, or no you will not-"

"I SAID NO!" She responded maliciously. She started breathing a little more aggressively, readying herself for an incredible stunt.

"Explain yourself!" Eihort bellowed, trying to intimidate her. She stood her ground. Eihort, perplexed by her unusual reaction, straightened up a little. It was almost indignant. It had not faced such arrogance in thousands of years. "WHAT do you mean by this negative?"

"It means NO."

"You little wretch!" Eihort almost laughed and sneered at the same time "You will be destroyed!"

Ventress sneered back "NO! Because this is what I'M going to do....I'm gonna cut you up like the fat bitch you are, and I'm gonna squeeze and pop as many of those little snot babies you got crawling inside you like bubble wrap....and then, I'm going to leave!"

Eihort roared with disbelief at her absolute disrespect and arrogance. It darted the needle tongue at her. It tried to impale her, but this was a true professional, not one of those reckless pirates. Ventress grabbed the needle tongue and attempted to cut it out of the beast! Eihort, angered by her audacity, pulled the tongue back in, but she wouldn't let go.

Riddick and Vincent watched in amazement as Eihort scooped her into its mouth. As victorious as it felt to swallow her, its satisfaction was very short lived. In fact, it bellowed in agony. Riddick smiled.

Ventress was cutting a path through it with the knife. She pulled herself through a wound in the top of the beast. Eihort bucked and bellowed with pain and rage. Ventress had little gooey spider babies crawling on her, but they were mostly dormant. They were not active while inside their own "mother". Ventress also took note that, individually, they were harmless.

Vincent hovered down to her as she wiped off the little gelatin spawn from her body. She was covered in a sickly yellow substance. She assumed it must be Eihort's blood "You ain't so tough!" she kicked the beast one last time as Vincent lifted her to the hole.

Riddick helped her through. "You ever wonder about the anatomy of a Sarlaac? Well here's your chance!!" He grinned. They started climbing up the veining tentacles.

"Well, it's better looking inside the Sarlaac than the Eihort." She quipped. Ventress looked around. The Sarlaac looked like a huge, hollow tunnel going down. Pulsating blood vessels lined the sides of the beast, and tentacles were everywhere. She looked up and could barely see the surface.

All thoughts were interrupted by Eihort. The Lord of the dead started ramming into the wall behind them. The hole was tiny, but it was in such a rage it was about to tear through the maze wall, tearing through the Sarlaac, just to get at Ventress!

"Well shit!" Ventress raised an eyebrow and climbed faster. Vincent tried to blast any tentacles that reached for the others, but soon found that the Sarlaac was extremely distracted by Eihort, who was ripping its way into the stomach. Tentacles started attacking the great beast. The sarlaac was still ravenously hungry, and pulled at Eihort while the three kept working their way to the top.

"You really pissed off that thing! I think I'm in love!" Riddick grins. Ventress almost blushes a little; sort of proud she faced down such a beast and is climbing away with the last laugh.

 

On board Clone Dooku's command ship, Dooku watched from the observation deck as the fleet moved through the thick polluted clouds. "Dooku to the Bridge!" He called on the communicator. "Have our patrols found anything at the coordinates Seven-Max-Triad?"

The droids on the bridge below chimed in their whiny voices the same answer. "Negative, Commander. We have not detected any minerals, life signs, structures or unusual terrain. If there is a treasure of the Nemon, they must have been mistaken."

Dooku grew tiresome and irritable "It MUST be there! Elder Pardek swears the treasure and legacy of the Nemon is at those coordinates. Keep searching the area!"

"Master, the pollution is very thick. The ground units cannot even see our fleet."

Clone Dooku furled his brow at the droids "The ground units don't need to see the fleet! They need to keep searching the territory around this sector."

"Begging your pardon, Commander," one of the Bridge officer droids requested, "but what are we looking for? There's nothing in this sector."

Dooku huffed "It is the greatest weapon or wealth of the Nemon people, and I WANT IT! No more delays! I want results!"

Dooku switched away from the bridge and contacted his command center near the bridge where Ahsoka and Barriss waited "Apprentice Offee!" He barked out.

Barriss stood by wounded Ahsoka, who lay on a luxurious couch. "Yes, Master?" She sounded sterile, like a robot.

"Bring Ahsoka to me on the observation deck. I wish to be in your company."

Barriss picked up Ahsoka. "Yes Master." She replied. She walked by a weapons locker, and found spare light sabers Clone Dooku kept for emergencies.

Ahsoka struggled a little "You can put me down. I'm getting more movement from my muscles."

Barriss shook her head, hinting that she should keep up the deception of being helpless. Ahsoka frowned and was nervous looking into those yellow eyes. Barriss carried her into the hallway....

Hendriksson had spent some minutes calling up the Nemon representatives from their bunker. Elder Pardek and two others approached from the bunker entrance to his safe house. "What is the meaning of this? Surely there is nothing more to discuss in the matters of the Separatists?"

The old soldier puffed on his deathstick with frustration. "What about the Pirates? They are certainly still a threat. You keep running into them every time you try to walk on the surface. I certainly have my hands full trying to keep control of the Screamers that help watch over this dump!"

"This dump," Pardek frowns, "is still the capital. I do appreciate you being a little more delicate in the matter!"

"I'm as delicate as a frikkin flower, but when it comes to war, I don't pull any punches, Pardek. You know why I don't? Because THEY won't! Dooku and the Separatists are going to screw us all once they get that treasure you graciously handed them on a silver platter!" Hendriksson barked.

"We have no qualms with Dooku. He has nothing to gain by destroying us when he already gave us Ventress!" Pardek shrugged, unable to comprehend any danger.

Lux looked at him in shock "What happened to Ventress? Where is she?" He looked around at the old soldier and the others.

Hendriksson looked at him without blinking. "They put her on trial, though give the circumstances I can't say they were entirely wrong. Still, they put their trust in a man who has probably burned half the galaxy by now!" He looked at Lux with a little more sympathy, implying that the punishment was probably death. "I'm sorry, kid. I'm pretty sure they found her guilty."

Pardek was almost blunt, but not in a hostile way. "She freely admitted her guilt. The Phantom Queen fulfilled her part in Nemon Prophecy"

Lux could not keep up with the turn of events. "Wait... Phantom Queen? Prophecy?" He looked at Pardek with anger. "What the Hell's going on?!! WHERE IS VENTRESS!?"

"I'M right here, Lux; guilty as sin, but still standing!" Ventress' voice caught everyone off guard as she entered the safe house. Pardek was in awe, Lux smiled. Hendriksson nearly swallowed his deathstick, like he had seen a ghost.

Mal and Katniss looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "Shiny" they both concluded.

Pardek was awestruck "The legend unfolds before my eyes. I didn't think it was possible!"

Riddick and Vincent followed behind her. Ventress wasted no time. "I made it through the trial, Pardek. Your Lord of the Dead was...well, unimpressive. Now, any word on the others?"

A static burst fired through one of the radio receivers on Hendriksson's computer workstation. Obi-wan's voice crackled through. "Hello, planet Beaudicca! Anyone there? Obi-wan Kenobi to anyone that is not a pirate. Anyone who is not a pirate, please come in!"

Hendriksson makes his way to the radio and answers. "This is Colonel Hendriksson! We read you, and I'm sure we are not pirates. What's your status?"

"Ah, excellent! We've taken control of the shuttle and are making our way back to Dooku's ship. We think we may be able to get to Ahsoka and Barriss! Colonel, Dooku has ordered a strike on the Nemon. He's sending droid fighters and the Pirates to intercept your position! You may want to consider evacuating the ruin!"

Ventress came up to the radio to talk "Obi-wan, this is Ventress! Do you think you can land first? I need to get on that shuttle!" She turned to Hendriksson and Pardek "Time's going to run out soon, and I need to get to the coordinates of Seven-Max-Triad! That's where Varda said the treasure would be!"

Obi-wan crackled back on the radio "Will do, Ventress. It is lovely to hear your voice again!"

Pardek looked at her funny "Varda!? How do you know Varda? How do you know about Seven-Max-Triad!? Only Dooku was given those coordinates!" The elder Nemon was confused. Ventress just looked at him, desperately trying to ready them for a huge offensive.

"Pardek," Ventress went on, "do you have any other weapons, any ships, heavy vehicles? ANYTHING to help defend this place?"

Pardek stammered a little, but he knew the Nemon had nowhere else to go. Defending the ruins was their only hope against invading pirates and droids. "Well, uhhh....we have Master Kenobi's Jedi fighter, fully repaired. Why?"

Ventress turned to Hendriksson. "Those screamers....how good are they?"

He lit up a quick deathstick "They're the best defense we have next to the Nemon gunners, and a small fighter craft....plus if anyone else wants to throw in with us." He looked at Lux, Mal and Katniss before continuing. "There are several hundred of them wondering in that fenced off zone, and I can program them to spread out beyond the zone to attack the pirates before they get here. It'll take a moment but it can be done!" He got to work quickly, typing in new commands to the Screamers.

Ventress turned to Lux. "Can you fly a Jedi Fighter? I need someone to do recon on the pirates and the droids."

Lux grimaced "Which sounds better: I think or I hope?"

Ventress patted his shoulder. "It's like riding a speeder bike. You'll be fine. You don't have to fight them, just find them and get back here. Get going. Pardek, have your people prep the fighter for him. And you'd better arm any able-bodied Nemon who can fight... because this is it."

Pardek bows hastily, and leads Lux out to their hangar bay in the bunker. Pardek takes time to announce to every Nemon of Ventress' reappearance, and her victory over Eihort. Ventress soon hears the shuttle landing.

Ventress exited the safe house, but looked at Riddick and Vincent. "Listen to Hendriksson. He knows the territory. Get a defense built up!"

"How are we going to stop an army of droids and pirates?" Riddick raised an eyebrow. Ventress shrugged. She was flying by the seat of her pants on this. Riddick looked over at the old soldier, Hendriksson. The old soldier took a puff of his death stick and motioned Riddick and Vincent to a wall map of the city. Now was a good time to learn how to do this.

The shuttle landed very clumsily. Obi-wan was not nearly as good a pilot as Anakin might have been, but he was adequate. Ventress waited as the cargo hatch opened up. Obi-wan, Conradin and the Doctor exited. "We've tracked some pirate activity, and we believe Dooku is sending all his fighter squads over here to bombard the city ruins. His fleet is in some uncharted, deserted sector of the Nemon planet-"

"-He's trying to find something valuable, Obi-wan! I have to find it first. Can you pilot this thing to Dooku's ship?"

Obi-wan smiled and answered quickly. "I'm on it!" He went back to the cockpit.

"Conrad! I need you to help with the defense of the city. Go to Hendriksson, put yourself to good use. Trenchcoat!" She called out to the Doctor. "I need a guy who's good at all this science stuff. We may need your help! Get back in the shuttle."

Conradin and The Doctor move quick without saying a word. Ventress closed the cargo hatch as Obi-wan fired up the engines again. They sat down in the cockpit.

"What are we looking for exactly?" Obi-wan asked as they lifted off. "The clouds of pollution are very thick around the atmosphere. I was lucky to find the ruins!"

Ventress shrugged. "I have no idea. All I know is that I want to see Dooku's face when I beat him to it!"

Barriss carries Ahsoka down the long corridor to the elevators. She stops near them.

Ahsoka starts moving more, signaling to be let go. "It's okay, you don't have to carry me anymore. We will need to form a strategy to tackle the Clone Dooku! Quick, give me one of the light sabers."

Ahsoka feels herself get pushed into a small escape pod with incredible force. "What are you doing, Barriss!?" Ahsoka hears the door to the pod close. She turns around, but Barriss has sealed her in. "No! We can take him together! Do you understand? WE can take him together!!"

Barriss just looked at her for a moment. Ahsoka could see small changes in her eyes, in her expression. "I don't think you want to see this." Barriss concluded. "Get to the others. Remember me however you want." She punched the launch button. Ahsoka was sent sailing out in the escape pod. Barriss watched for a few seconds, and then walked calmly to the elevators.

 

Ahsoka pounded on the door in frustration and looked out the window as Clone Dooku's fleet was getting more and more obscured by the clouds. She frowned. Then, she saw something else out the window; something that made her jaw drop. A radio in the escape pod crackled to life.

"Ahsoka? Barriss? Can either of you hear me!?" It was Ventress, calling on the shuttle radio. "Anyone? Ahsoka!? Barriss? Can either of you hear me?" Ahsoka ran to the receiver.

"This is Ahsoka!! Asajj!!! YOU'RE ALIVE!!" Ahsoka grinned. She felt a bit of relief, but time was running out. "Asajj! I'm in an escape pod! I'm making my way to the surface!"

"I see you, Ahsoka! We're plotting a course to land. We'll pick you two up!"

Ahsoka got desperate. "There's no time!! I'll catch a ride with you up here!"

"What!?" Ventress gasped on the radio. Ahsoka popped open the hatch in midair, and spotted the Shuttle in the distance. She waved quickly and jumped! Free floating away from the pod, Ahsoka drifted through the toxic clouds at incredible speeds. The Shuttle slowly got next to her.

A small hatch opened up on the top. Ventress popped out and spotted Ahsoka heading towards her like a speeding bullet as both she and the shuttle matched speeds in the plummet. Ventress grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close. "I ought to kick your butt for pulling this stunt!" Ventress nagged like a mother hen, but started hugging Ahsoka as she pulled her back into the shuttle. Obi-wan hit the thrusters and started to climb again.

Lux wobbled a little awkwardly as he flew Kenobi's Jedi fighter out. "Ugh, I'm not used to this!" He flipped on communications. "Lux to home base. Colonel, do you copy?"

Hendriksson sat by the microphone, waiting to hear from the pilot. "I copy, Lux. How's your visual status?"

Lux flew the craft at a low altitude "Lots of bad clouds on this planet. My radar is inoperative as well. Too much radiation, I suspect."

"That will work to our advantage. They won't be able to use radar either." Hendriksson concluded.

Lux started thinking. "Colonel, I have an idea. Whatever happens, and whatever I say over the radio... play along." Hendriksson looked at Mal, curious.

 

Barriss Offee enters the observation deck quietly, giving Clone Dooku a smoldering stare as he looked out at the thick desolation of clouds surrounding his fleet. He turned to her for a second and raised an eyebrow. "Where is Ahsoka Tano!? You are to both be here to witness my final triumph, and continue your training!"

In an almost ceremonial move, she pulled out two red light sabers and struck a pose, preparing for combat. Clone Dooku furled his brow, almost twitching an eye in surprise and anger. "You... you dare to use sabers against me?"

"I am ready to serve a lesson to you, Imitation Dooku!" She stared. "Lesson Number One: Never trust a Sith."

His mouth twisted in disgust as he lit up his two sabers. "It's treason, is it? You are no Sith... You are a mere girl!" They launched at each other, but Clone Dooku was surprised at the extra tenacity in her as they crossed blades.

They swung and parried each other, and she started pushing him back a few steps. "You assume too much!" She said calmly, her eyes a bright yellow. Sparks of red flashed as they danced a deadly dance in dueling combat. They each looked for a weakness and fueled the anger of the other. Each of them felt the power of the Dark side like a hunger.

 

Lux searched through the clouds without much success. "Maybe if I get lower to the ground." He exited the clouds at a lower altitude. He finally saw the pirates on the move. His jaw dropped at the number of jeeps and tanks driving across the wasteland to wipe out the Nemon. It looked like several thousand pirates armed to the teeth. His jaw hit the floor of the cockpit at the sight of a dozen choppers. His shock worsened when he realized that he had also just lowered out of the clouds in the middle of a number of vulture squadrons that were on route to join the pirates! There must have been about 5 or 6 squadrons, and he was in the middle of it all. He recovered fast and remembered his plan.

One of the vulture fighters suddenly noticed the extra ship flying in their formation. Lux noticed, and grinned at the thought that maybe the droid's jaw would hit the floor in surprise if it could.

He opened up his radio, all frequencies "Red 1 to Red and Blue squadrons, this is Red 1 to Red and Blue squadrons... I have found the enemy at coordinates Delta-Charlie-Niner! I repeat, the enemy is below us. You may fire at will... I say again... you may FIRE AT WILL!!"

Back at the base, the Nemon and the others took up defense positions to prepare for the assault, they were too few, but Hendriksson, listening on the radio, understood perfectly well what Lux was doing, and it was brilliant. He got on the receiver. "Copy that, Red 1, we are engaging the enemy! All units put your deflector screens at double front and fire at will!"

The radio signal had been open for all droids within the area to hear. For a moment, the pirates and the vulture droids had an 'Oh shit!' moment, breaking formations and panicking; not expecting a massive surprise attack from above. Lux swung through the vultures and maximized the attack, blasting away at everything in sight still shouting into his comlink for all fighters in the non-existent Red and Blue squadrons to reign death on the enemy. He even ducked in and out of the clouds, so as to look like 'multiple fighters'. It was working to psych out the pirates. Droid communications blew up the airwaves!

"Command ship! We are under attack! Requesting reinforcements!! Repeat! Requesting reinforcements!! Immediately!" The vulture panicked.

On Dooku's ship, the bridge crew scrambled in confusion. The head droid communicated back to them. "Reinforcements? For what? Our radar cannot confirm any large attack force in your area. Please acknowledge!"

Lux ducked out of the clouds again, switching from lasers to missiles. He aimed one at a time at the tanks rumbling across the desert terrain, creating pandemonium while the droids still scrambled in a panic. Pirate vehicles were getting blasted left and right. Pirate scum scurried about as the entire convoy broke up into smaller groups to avoid getting vaporized. Lux jumped back up to the clouds firing lasers at the vultures. He shoots down two of them, causing the mass of droids to follow him up into the swirling maelstrom.

"I'm telling you we not only have two full squadrons, they are Jedi! I repeat, we are up against Jedi fighters!!" The vulture screamed at fleet command.

The bridge crew on Dooku's ship were ready to blow fuses at the panic. "We cannot detect any enemy aircraft! You are in error! You are... Droid leader? Report, droid leader!" A droid looks to its communication officer. "Squad leader has been shot down!"

To make matters even worse for the droids, Hendriksson opened up the channels again. "Red 1, we have been requested by Purple and Gold squadrons to join in the fun. I repeat... Purple and Gold squadrons want to participate in the kill zone!" The old Colonel nearly chuckled on air as he cracked a big smile at the panic he might be causing. It worked.

 

The bridge crew were suddenly flooded with panicked requests from droids and pirates. Klaxon alarms were sounding off in every capital ship of Clone Dooku's fleet. The bridge commander could not compute the error in radar and the panicked requests for help. "Launch all fighters! Repeat! We are under surprise attack! Launch ALL FIGHTERS!!"

Swarms of vultures left the fleet to engage the enemy, without realizing they were only up against one fighter and two guys on the radio. It was enough chaos to delay the attack, and Lux was able to shoot down several droids in the panic.

 

Barriss and Clone Dooku continued a desperate struggle on the observation deck, sabers clashing together. Clone Dooku pushed her away and launched his lightning attack at her. She absorbed it with her sabers, and was only getting madder. "You don't really expect to defeat me! By now... your powers are draining! I will not kill you, but you will know the pain of a thousand years of punishment when I am through! Your anger will not be enough to stop me! I have been trained by the real Count Dooku!"

He doubled his efforts with the lightning. Barriss concentrated hard on holding back his power. Both struggled in their mental abilities to channel the Force. The lightning started to electrify everything in the room. Terminals and computer panels started blowing fuses, scorching from the power being unleashed.

Clone Dooku let out a frustrated yell, but Barriss was a master of meditating and focusing. More importantly, she was no longer afraid of the power coursing through her; power from the Dark side. She had not fully embraced it yet, but she knew what she needed to do to become what she felt destiny called her to do. It was going to happen after all.

Clone Dooku had not anticipated such enormous power from such a small person, but his lightning was being deflected away. He stopped his attack, feeling more tired than triumphant. Barriss did not hesitate and dueled again with incredible ferocity underneath her calm exterior. Clone Dooku was winded trying to deflect her saber attacks, backing away. Her attacks started to batter at him, beating his sabers. In a swift move, he pushed her away with the Force, giving himself a moment to breathe.

Barriss detected it was time for the killing move. Her sabers had a small mechanism in their handles, allowing her to connect them end to end into a long double blade. She took off in a running start and slammed the now single blade to the floor. It flew out of her hands, twirling like a red baton into the air. Barriss built a momentum towards Clone Dooku, and began a series of summersaults towards him. Shaken by this new style of attack, he tried to stab her as she flipped at him. He missed. At the last second, she leaped into the air over him, grabbing her saber in mid flight and landed behind him. He tries to deflect this new attack, but miscalculates terribly. She cuts off one of his hands in a smooth transition as she lands on her feet and twirls the blades.

Dooku gasps as he falls to his knees in shock. Barriss lifts him in the air with a devastating choke hold. For several seconds, she lets him gasp helplessly for air. "I'm taking away a year of your life, Imitation Dooku!" She almost smiles. "Let us try ten years..." She squeezed her hand slowly as he floated like a rag doll.

The elevator lights behind her lit up. Reinforcements were coming as the doors opened. Clone Dooku gasped enough power to cry for help. "Stop her, my droids!!! SHOOT HER!!"

Barriss was fully enjoying the beast from within that was unleashed, and she could sense them behind her, but she had enough time to finish him. She raised both hands, ready for one final crushing of Clone Dooku's entire skull. Her fall was almost complete.

Almost, except for the timely arrival of not the droids, but Asajj Ventress, who grabbed her from behind. Barriss yelled in surprise. Clone Dooku fell to the floor, but was covered by Ahsoka, who held her lightsaber to his throat while Ventress held Barriss in an iron grip.

"It's me!!" Ventress called out as Barriss struggled like an animal. "It's me! Let it out! Take a deep breath and let it go!"

Barriss tried to resist. "HE MUST DIE!" She shrieked. She struggled, the darkness struggled to stay alive in her, but Ventress pinned themselves in a brutal hug, not weakening until Barriss used up her energy.

"It's ok! It's ok, kid. You're feeling the power of the Darkness. It feels good, doesn't it? I know, I know it does..."

Everyone watched quietly as Barriss continued to struggle as Ventress held her in place. The Doctor watched by the elevators. Some of them activated, as if droids were coming up to assist Clone Dooku.

The Doctor deactivated the elevators, halting any intrusion. "We're going to have company eventually. I can delay them, but they'll find a way soon enough!" He concluded.

Ahsoka watched Ventress work; watched the terrible look Barriss had in her eyes with the yellow power that flowed in them. "Is she going to be ok? Has she fallen?"

"You must KILL her! She is a Sith now, and she will destroy us all if-"

"-You will SHUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH!" Clone Dooku babbled in fear, real fear, but was cut off by an annoyed Ventress as she held back the small Mirialan who channeled the dark energy out of herself in the struggle. "You open your mouth again, I'll cut off your wrinkly balls personally!" Asajj had venom to spit, and even considered letting Barriss kill him. But, she had responsibilities to attend to. Barriss was now out of breath, the struggle leaving her as the yellow faded from her eyes.

"I can't stop it... I need the power!" Barriss grimaced.

"You're almost there, kid, but you have to LET IT GO! The power feels good, it makes you feel alive and you want revenge, but you need to listen to me. Let it go. Take deep breaths with me and let it go. You kill him and you will fall into a world of hurt. Trust me, I know. That's it, just slow your breathing. Slow it down. I need you to just be Barriss Offee again. Ok?"

Barriss let the darkness fade, the wild beast from within died down. Her eyes were almost back to normal. "He did terrible things... He..."

"Shhhh, I know, kid. I know. You got him good, kid. You got him, you beat him. More importantly, you beat the power of the Dark side. Take a deep breath, because revenge isn't the answer. Don't let it consume you. You doing ok, kid?" Ventress released her grip a little at a time every minute or so. The elevators struggled to move, but the Doctor countered each one with an adjustment by his sonic screwdriver device.

"I'm ok... I'm ok..." Barriss finally gave out and relaxed. She took deep breaths and felt the darkness leave her, or perhaps it was simply caged up under her control again. She felt relief from the pressure, the desire to kill, the passion for power.

Ventress let go of her and massaged her shoulders and wrists. "I didn't bruise you, did I?" She asked. Barriss, a little worn out, shook her head and frowned. Ventress looked to Ahsoka. "Ahsoka, the elevators are taken, so we'll get to the hanger bay the fast, dangerous way." Ventress took a lightsaber and busted through the observation glass. Gusts of wind flowed through, but it was not too violent.

"Get going! You too, Doc! I'll be there in a minute."

Ahsoka, Barriss and the Doctor, exited the deck, trying to precariously climb their way down the side of the tower of the cruiser. Ventress waited for them to leave... and turned to the Clone Dooku.

Clone Dooku was apprehensive. Ventress gave him a deadly stare. "She has become a Sith, and has deceived you all! She will turn on you!"

Ventress marched up to him and punched his face. She sneered with contempt and punched him again, knocking him to the floor. His mouth and nose bled, but she did not stop. She grabbed him by the tunic, pulled him to his knees and slapped him across the face. "So, you thought to burn these children with lightning, huh? Made you feel like you were a big man, huh?" She punched him again, busting his nose, ignoring his cries and his pleas. "You were going to turn them into dark Sith playthings, huh?" She slapped him two more times. His face was red from the brutal markings.

"You're just a Clone, I hear, yet you think you're such a badass like Dooku. The REAL Count Dooku!" She punched him again. "The Real Count Dooku would never have let a girl beat him... The REAL Count Dooku would never have been this incompetent..." She kept punching and slapping him, bruising him with such punishment it might have horrified the others, but Ahsoka had told Ventress what had happened; what Clone Dooku had planned for them. Ventress was going to make her point in the hardest way possible.

"You know, I'll say one good thing about the Real Count Dooku." She wound up for one more punch. "He might have been a bastard to those girls, but he wouldn't have been a fucking bastard like you!" She sent him sprawling to the floor with a knockout punch and spit on him.

Droids started pouring out of the elevators and tried to shoot Ventress, but she jumped through the window. She measured the distance to catch up with the others and let the Force glide her down to them. They could hear Clone Dooku shouting angrily to destroy them.

The others looked at her cautiously. Barriss looked at her, almost knowing by the way Ventress flexed her sore hand. "I thought you said revenge wasn't the answer..."

Asajj smiled and patted her hair to reassure her. "I didn't need to get revenge. I simply had a one-sided conversation with him to explain my thoughts." Ventress led the others to a center point on the command ship and used the lightsaber to punch a hole into the ship.

 

After a few minutes and a lot of droid calculations, the vultures began to realize they had been duped. "It's a trick! There's only ONE FIGHTER!! After him!"

"Well, shit. The party's over. Time to head out!" He flew his Jedi craft upward at full speed to the outer atmosphere. The droids followed him through the clouds. He climbed, hopefully to drag them away from the main attack. As long as he kept them on a merry chase, they would not attack the others. It was the least he could do at this point. "Hey Red Squadron," he chimed in to Hendriksson as he went into orbit, "I'm gonna be a little late for dinner."

The Colonel smiled as he could hear some of the pirates start to skirmish around the edges of the danger zone. He could hear few screams, and knew the pirates were running into the Screamer droid defense as they crossed past the barbed wire. "You did good, Big Red One. I'll keep the light on for when you get back. Red Squadron out." He picked up his gun and prepared to launch the screamers at the main pirate force approaching. It wouldn't stop all of them, but the screamers evened the odds a little bit.

Lux flew into space, and was surprised so many vultures still followed him. "Hmm, I guess they were really humiliated by one fighter." He sighed. Pulling them from the main battle was a victory of sorts, but now he didn't know what to do with them.

His prayers were suddenly answered by the timely arrival of a large flotilla of Republic warships! Jumping out of hyperspace, they reach the edge of the orbit. The lone Banking Clan frigate that was to transport all of the male prisoners was still there. The main fleet open fired on it while dozens of Republic fighters swarmed out of their hangers to meet the oncoming droids. The Frigate is obliterated in seconds.

"This is Anakin Skywalker! Obi-wan! Are you ok?" Anakin was leading the charge, and mistook Lux for his mentor.

Lux quickly opened hailing frequencies. "This is Lux Bonteri! Commander Skywalker, it is good to see you! There is a whole fleet of Separatist ships on the planet below."

Perhaps Lux should have worded things differently, perhaps Anakin misheard the statement. Lux was trying to make him tactically aware, but came across in another way.

"Lux Bonteri, Separatist ally! I gotta hand it to you, bragging about your fleet like that, but flying Obi-wan's own fighter against us... Yeah, that takes guts!"

Hearing Anakin's reply sent a chill down Lux's spine. "No, that's not what I meant! I'm warning you-"

"And I'm warning you! The Republic will not stand for this. Prepare to have your Separatist ass handed to you!" Anakin signaled his forces to open fire.

Lux steered the craft hard and fast to do a complete 180 degree turn. He could hear the strain on it and the R4 unit that dutifully worked to keep it in one piece. "Well, this is a complete mess!" He grimaced as he flew right back into the middle of the horde of vulture droids at full speed. The droids tried to fire at him as he passed by, doing more damage to themselves than to him. Anakin took it as a sign of retreat and pursued Lux with the same determination as the droids. Everybody wanted a piece of him now.

"Aw COME ON!!!" He almost pouted as everyone started firing at him.


	5. Mystery Planet Chapter 5

On the surface, the pirates had begun their assault, albeit with much difficulty. The Screamers cut down any pirate caught on foot and disabled vehicles. The choppers buzzed around like large pesky insects, but they were matched by the Nemon heavy artillery being launched from several buildings and hidden locations in the ruins.

Hendriksson looked through binoculars to scan the enemy formations. Conradin went up next to him. "How are things looking?" Blaster fire was erupting around them.

"Well, there's a Sarlaac out there that doesn't take too kindly to strangers." Hendriksson shrugged like it was business as usual. Conradin cringed at the thought. "Oh yeah, we ran into him a while back. Hope he is eating well now. He seemed a bit peckish when we crossed paths."

"He won't be hungry after today." Colonel Hendriksson grinned as he watched through the binoculars. The pirate advance was delayed more by the Sarlaac's greeting. Riddick burst in to interrupt the good vibes with concern. "I thought you said these screamers were going to go out to get the pirates. Most of them are just sitting in the danger zone! They only attack when pirates come up to the fence!"

Hendriksson checked the computer for a diagnostic on the Screamers. He frowned. "The signal's not getting through. This damn computer equipment is over three years old and is half fried by radiation! I can't get them to respond!"

An explosion rocked the house next door. Malcolm and Katniss ducked into the command room past dust from the upper floor. "Well, this is a tight spot! Are we winning?"

"Well, I'd say the answer is complicated!" Hendriksson looked at him with some sarcasm "I'm having trouble with the Screamers. They won't leave their kill zone!"

Riddick picked up a communicator in one of the equipment lockers. "Can I get them to follow a frequency outside the zone?"

"Yeah... if you want to get yourself smeared halfway across the desert! You don't have to do this!"

"Trust me. If this little gizmo works, I'll be working my way through them!"

Conradin looked at him, and clutched the blaster carbine he was given by the Nemon. "I'll keep you covered as best I can!"

Hendriksson went to one of his weapons lockers and pulled out an old but stylish sniper rifle. "I'll cover you too. Let's roll!" They ducked out into the cover of rubble and watched as Riddick jumped the barbed wire and ran like hell across the field. Activating the signal, he got the attention of the large army of screamers that just lay in the zone.

The shrieks were deafening as the killing machines started to go after him. Riddick jumped the outer wire fence and ran towards the approaching body of pirates.

 

Katniss started re-arming herself with explosive tipped arrows given to her by the Nemon. Malcolm stayed by her side and double checked his pistols. "I think we ought to stay near the bunker, and defend the entrance, maybe retreat if need be." He looked at her with a strong hint.

"You don't think I can handle pirates, Dad?" She looked at him with some snark.

"I don't believe you should have to. But, I'll make a deal with you. You fire off all those arrows, and then we will fall back." They moved to a window overlooking the front lines. They could see Riddick running through the pirate advance, followed by Screamer droids that tore through the enemy. Hendrikkson and Conradin were busy shooting any pirates that tried to aim for Riddick.

Riddick used every trick in the book. Ducking under vehicles and climbing over wrecked ones, he only stopped to fight long enough to wound a pirate and leave him for the horrifying droids that followed him. He never looked back, but could hear the screams of man and machine and the sick cutting noises that followed.

But the pirates kept coming. Conradin would fire away at them as they approached the empty zone in front of them, while Hendriksson picked off any officers or authority figures.

"Well, it looks like we'll be overrun shortly. I think we may want to retreat to a secondary point in the city, unless you think we should all go back into the bunker."

"We go into the bunker, we ain't got no other place to go. We could keep them out for maybe an hour or so, but we'll do more damage to them up here at this point." He fired away, nailing another stray figure out in the kill zone. Conradin kept firing away as blaster fire and explosions erupted around the ruins.

Riddick made his way through smoking craters and past bodies. He found his way to another fire fight. A couple dozen pirates were furiously fighting the hungry Sarlaac; shooting at tentacles and aggravating it with grenades and a flamethrower. Riddick took time to run past most of them and let a few remaining Screamers target them and rip them up.

And then, there came a vicious roar. Up from the Sarlaac's mouth raised the mighty Eihort, looking a little worse for wear at being partially digested. It was not happy as it spotted Riddick in the distance. "Furyan!" It bellowed. "I remember you. I will break you and find your friend!" Eihort sent the remaining pirates scattering, panicked and full of terror. The lumbering God of the dead stretched forth and crawled on the hot desert, crushing most pirates unfortunate enough to be in front of it, randomly injecting babies in two or three others, but focused on Riddick.

Riddick turned and looked at the beast with surprise, then looked to see some screamers heading for him. He ran up to the Lord of the Dead, and rolled underneath the creature, avoiding Eihort's huge, bulging stumpy legs. The screamers targeted the huge monster God and started cutting it while Riddick ran behind Eihort and bolted back to the safety of the ruins. Eihort roared again in anger, having missed the wily Furyan. Eihort thrashed at the screamer droids. The cuts were painful, but Eihort was a near immortal being, and was not about to be done in by pirates, a Sarlaac and mere machines. It turned and started a lumbering charge after Riddick. It was slow, but determined. Riddick looked back once. Just once, and just kept running.

Both sides of the battle were momentarily stunned at the sight. Pirates hid from the beast, those who weren't crushed in its wake. The Nemon were almost reverently terrified at seeing the great God out on the planet surface.

Malcolm's jaw dropped. He was firing his pistols at various pirates trying to get into the city, but he was ill prepared for such a beast. "Great googly moogly!" He grabbed Katniss. "Yeah, it's time to get into the FRIKKING BUNKER!" They ran as Riddick got closer and Eihort started picking up speed. Eihort's needle tongue started darting around, waiting to get a shot at the fleeing target, waiting to inject gooey spider babies.

Hendriksson and Conradin looked at each other. "Fuck me," The Colonel almost swallowed his deathstick again, "I think I'm gonna need a bigger gun!"

Conradin looked quickly. "I have a crazy, stupid idea!" He answered quickly and ran off. He ran to the bunker as Malcolm and Katniss were about to enter. "We gotta catch it in a crossfire, or Riddick's a dead man!"

Malcolm looked at him as if he just kicked a puppy. "You can't be serious!"

"Katniss, how many of those explosive arrows you got left?" Conradin talked in haste.

She was more than willing to help; much to her stepdad's fear and disapproval. "I have four left!"

"This is not up for a discussion!" Mal argued, but Katniss was already running for the open field, readying her weapon. Mal pulled out both his pistols and gave Conradin the nastiest look and followed her. Conradin followed behind him. "You just earned yourself a punch in the face, and I'll be paying up that rain check when this is over!" Mal warned as they got closer to where Riddick and the beast were.

"Fair enough." Conradin replied.

Katniss and Mal ran to one side, Conradin on the other. "Vincent!" Conradin called out. "Can you give Riddick a hand?"

Vincent was way ahead of him, as usual. "I'm on it, sir!" Having darted out from the ruins to intercept Riddick, Vincent offered to pull him away. Riddick was exhausted from all the running, and clutched Vincent while the droid floated in the opposite direction away from the ruins. The beast, Eihort, stumbled as they zipped past it going the other way. While Eihort was near immortal, and highly intelligent, it was confused in the bright surface, and was enraged by the mortals enough to not be focused on anything except crushing Riddick and the little robot that interfered.

Katniss launched an explosive arrow at it, nailing its rubbery hide. The explosion sent bits of Eihort splattering about, like yellow goo. It roared in pain, but before it could turn to find her, Conradin opened fire from a wrecked, smoking Pirate vehicle, distracting it from another angle. Mal distracted it further as he fired from yet another direction with both barrels blazing.

Eihort roared again with a new determination to eliminate every last living thing within sight while its yellow gooey body dripped ichoric substances everywhere from its massive wound.

 

Ventress led the others down a corridor, chased by droid guards. It has been pandemonium throughout the Separatist battle cruiser. It was filled with blaster fire, explosions and a lot of Ventress swearing.

They finally made it to the hanger bay. They ran to the center where Ventress and Obi-wan had parked, or rather, force landed. Obi-wan Kenobi was surrounded by droids, but was holding his own. The shuttle craft, unfortunately, was in bad shape. It had been blasted to pieces by the droid destroyers that were hunting for Obi-wan in the wreckage. Ventress and the others started slicing their way through the droids. The Doctor was deactivating them, one droid at a time while Barriss and Ahsoka jumped and leaped around the droids, cutting them to pieces.

"I think we lost something. Obi!" Ventress yelled as the last of the droids were dispatched. Obi-wan meekly raised a hand from a pile of the shuttles rubble. He gave the ok signal. "You had one job, Kenobi. One job!" Ventress put her hands on her hips and looked at him with a mockingly stern expression.

Obi-wan shrugged. "I thought I'd break the ice with a little joke."

Ventress looked around at the destroyed shuttle. "A very little joke, by the looks of it." She replied sarcastically.

The Doctor looked around. "Oh dear..." He muttered. All the other ships left to attack Lux, and what they thought were dozens of Jedi craft. The hangar bay was empty. "We seem to be out of options." He frowned.

Ahsoka sprung to the center of the group excitedly. "No, there's another way, but it's risky. I found the treasure!"

"Really?" Asajj looked at her in surprise. "The Nemon treasure of their prophecy? Where?"

Ahsoka moved to the edge of the hangar entrance, blocked only by the atmospheric force field. She pointed almost directly below them. "Clone Dooku's patrols couldn't find the treasure because he's looking on the surface of the planet. But the treasure has been hiding here... IN THE CLOUDS!"

Sure enough, they saw it. Not too far below, and rather dangerously close, was a large Nemon ship. It was hovering in the clouds, hidden by the radiation and undetected for three years. Everyone marveled at the sight of it. "It's huge! How did it escape detection so close to the Separatists?" Obi-wan twirled his mustache.

"Ah, the radiation..." The Doctor admired the clever set up. "It looks properly shielded, too. Too bad we can't reach it from here." He had a sort of sad curiosity on his face.

Ventress simply waved her hand and deactivated the Force Field and looked at him. "We CAN reach it from here!" The wind blew about through the hanger bay as they looked at her. The Doctor's two hearts got caught in his throat. There was only one way to get to it. Obi-wan, remembering how much he hated flying, started flexing his arms and legs as Ventress walked between Ahsoka and Barriss. She grabbed their hands. "Do you trust me, Trench Coat?" She looked at the Doctor as Obi-wan grabbed Barriss' other hand.

The Doctor smiled nervously. "I've never sailed without a parachute, Asajj... but I wouldn't miss this for the world." He grabbed Ahsoka's other hand.

She looked at him and smiled, holding his hand tightly. "I won't let go."

He smiled back, remembering her tenacity to hold onto him when the Sarlaac attacked. "You're doing fine." He answered back.

A new wave of droids entered the hangar bay, firing away at them. It was time to go. Ventress got a running start, followed by everyone else. "Let's hope, Doctor, that four Jedi are better than one parachute!" She jumped. They all did. The Doctor yelled in terror and excitement as he plummeted with the group. Obi-wan swung around and linked with the Doctor's free hand.

The wind whipped around them. The Jedi used their powers to steer them towards the massively large ship hidden just below Dooku's fleet. Barriss looked at Asajj and smiled. "Thank you..." They didn't have to say too much more. Ventress knew what she was talking about.

"I made a promise, kid, and I meant it." She squeezed her hand. Asajj looked both ways and smiled at Barriss and Ahsoka. She smiled at Obi-wan, who was still trying to get comfortable in this reckless position. She looked down at the ship. It was time to see what the big deal was.

They approached the surface of the other ship and the Jedi started to slow down their descent. They floated to the top of the ship. "Right." Obi-wan rubbed his hands together. "Time to get this party started." He activated his lightsaber.

Ahsoka halted him. "Wait!" She pointed at a distance. A hatch opened up. Slowly they all walked over and peered in. No one was there.

As they stood there deciding if it was safe, the Doctor walked up to the hatch. "No time like the present. Dooku probably knows the ship is here by now. So... ALLONS-Y!" He took a step and plunged in. Ahsoka followed, and the others went in.

"It looks like a control room!" Barriss marvels. It is a large room with open space. There is a huge computer taking measurements, monitoring life support, temperature, and other systems. In the center of the room were a small command post and a body on the floor. The control panel was simply a chair bolted to the floor and two round computer terminals with a place to put each hand, as if the ship could be controlled mentally through focusing on the hands in the consoles. A ship powered by mental will; and maybe the Force!

The Doctor was on the far end, near a glass partition, reading a plaque on the wall. "Fantastic!" He uttered unconsciously.

"What is it?" Obi-wan walked over to him.

The Doctor looked at all of them. "It's the prophecy of the Morrigu. It seems to have been left here, as if... the Pilot Commander was, ummm, expecting us. Prophecy of the Phantom Queen." He said, looking at Asajj with a wide-eyed enthusiasm. “In the dark days of the Nemon, the Morrigu take flight: One Mother, One Daughter, One sister of the Night. I suppose that's sort of accurate."

Ventress was not completely convinced until she went to the body and rolled it over. She let out a small gasp, one that sent everyone over to her.

"It CAN'T be... It's..." She looked at the Nemon body in shock. It was Varda, and he looked as if he had been dead for a long time. The Doctor and Barriss examined the body. Ventress was starting to shake. She never cared for mysticism of the Force except as a tool to use, but was scared of the possibilities now. She realized that Varda had focused on her, waiting even in death for this moment.

"He... he seemed to have died from the strain of controlling this ship." Obi-wan concluded. "But we saw him!"

"It's all starting to make sense! And it's brilliant!" The Doctor had an epiphany as he started examining the large computer as if looking for something.

"What are you talking about, Trenchcoat?" Ventress looked at him as he started to wildly check several gauges and screens. "What is this, exactly? What is the treasure, and what am I doing here?"

Everyone watched, bewildered and maybe a little startled at the Doctor's agitated behavior. The Doctor, however, was on the verge of revealing the best part of the Prophecy, rattling off verse after verse. "With Badb and Macha and Children of the Light, Phantom Queen Anann will find her state. The Morrigu will open the gate." He looked at the three women, pointing at Barriss, "Badb," then pointing at Ahsoka, "Macha. Or you two could switch if you like." He looked at Ventress with a grin. "Anann, the Phantom Queen! You've opened the gate to get here. The ship must have detected you, and opened the hatch. Very brilliant, I think." He grinned.

They were all spellbound by his explanation and waited for the big punch line to the prophecy. He calmly went over and flipped some switches. Several lights came on behind the glass partition; a partition that was a window to another part of the ship.

The Doctor continued with the prophecy as he flipped each switch on the supercomputer. "She will be mother to new Nemon. Her Phantom Crown, she will forsake." He walked over to the window, took a deep breath and turned to her and held out his arms to present the end of their journey. "Once angel of Death, a new crown, she will take."

They quickly ran to the window, and were all wide-eyed at what they saw. The ship, hidden in radioactive clouds, hidden from the Separatists, piloted by a lone, dead Nemon who guided Ventress along, stored the great Nemon treasure. It was one vast storage machine that held thousands upon thousands... tens of thousands... maybe hundreds of thousands of eggs in incubator units. Ventress' eyes grew fearful when she saw what this ship was. Her jaw hit the floor as she looked at the Doctor, speechless.

"That's right, Asajj Ventress. This ship is a giant incubator. The fate of the entire Nemon race..." He glanced out at the vast nursery of eggs. "It all rests in your hands. Varda wanted you to take those controls and steer the ship to the survivors."

"ME!!??" Ventress was terrified again.

 

Suddenly, an unpleasant booming voice came over the communication speaker. "Yes, Asajj Ventress... You!" It was Clone Dooku, and his voice dripped with sarcasm. "Oh, what a happy man you have made me now, Ventress!" Everyone froze, and listened with chills. Clone Dooku was still above them, and held a final card in his hand to win this struggle.

He strolled across his bridge as the droids aimed their cannons down at the ship. He clutched his stump of an arm. A wound he relished in sharing with his taunts. "Ventress, Tano and Offee, you have defied me for the last time! How ironic that your pathetic prophecy has led you and the Nemon civilization to its last gasp. You have helped me to destroy it again! And I intend to smother it once and for all!"

Ventress sneered "You can't DO this!! It's Genocide!!" She pleaded.

Clone Dooku laughed at her futile gesture. "It was not the treasure I had expected, but it makes my victory all the more satisfying. I cannot allow these Nemon to live, Ventress. Baby Nemon grow up to be soldiers, and when they learn what the Separatists did to their world, well, we cannot abide this potential new enemy. Goodbye, Phantom Queen! I hope to have made you realize in the last seconds of your pathetic life that there is no victory you can have that I cannot take away!"

Ventress scowled and went to the control panel that killed Varda. "Over MY DEAD BODY!" She slammed her hands into the controls, bringing the ship to life! The engines hummed and they felt the ship move.

"A ship powered by the will of the Force!" The Doctor looked at Ventress and grinned. "Brilliant!"

"Not as brilliant as you would think! Your ship is still within striking range, and will never build enough momentum to escape my wrath!" Clone Dooku gloated. Ventress concentrated, focusing on the controls that kept the ship moving. But she knew he was right. They had no way to escape, and no weapons to defend the ship.

Clone Dooku looked at his bridge crew and smiled despite the pain from his severed hand wound. "Open all missile bays and prepare all cannons. You may fire when ready!" He called out to them one last time. Ventress closed her eyes and waited for him to end his taunts. "Oh, Ventress! You can't get away... No... You can't get away! I would spit my last breath at thee! Farewell!"

And then, static crackled over the airwaves. Another voice intruded on them. It was Lux Bonteri. "HEY, ASSHOLE!" He called out on the radio. "You got me good when I had the chopper, but I'm game for a rematch!"

Clone Dooku rolled his eyes in boredom and looked at his radar crew. They spotted a vague signal within the clouds above the fleet. The droids snickered. "He's one lone fighter, My Lord." They reported. "He'll try to trick us into thinking he has many ships, but he's bluffing!"

"Hmph, Well, if it isn't Loser Bonteri, the littlest Separatist that could!" Clone Dooku dripped with sarcasm. He looked up through the windows of the bridge at the clouds, waiting for Lux to appear.

"LUX, NO!!!" Ahsoka called out. She looked up at the ceiling, instinctively and suddenly worried he would try to take on a whole fleet.

Lux flew straight down and stared ahead, terrified in the clouds. "I'm gonna kill you, Dooku. Just thought I'd give you a heads up!"

Clone Dooku laughed. The droid bridge crew laughed. "I'm aiming my littlest gun at you, Bonteri! Prepare to d-" Clone Dooku froze and went pale as Lux dive-bombed towards them out of the clouds.

It would be the last thing Clone Dooku would see; the last sight of Lux zeroing in on the bridge... and the sight of every vulture fighter that had been dispatched to destroy the Nemon pursuing him. The vultures were all focused on Lux, waiting for him to drop out of the clouds so they could get a clear shot. They all targeted missiles at him as they dropped out of the clouds and fired.

 

"Who's laughing now, Bitch!?"

 

Lux punched the thrusters and steered wildly past the bridge, and disappeared off to the side. Clone Dooku raged but didn't even have time to scream a curse as the missiles pelted his ship in a deadly rain. The rain was quickly followed by the squadrons of vultures who were so focused they didn't have time to pull away. There were followed by the dozens of Republic fighters led by Anakin who targeted the entire Separatist fleet.

"Open fire, boys!" Anakin grinned.

 

Lux struggled with the controls as all hell broke loose up above him. The entire Separatist fleet had been obliterated, exploding above him like a grand fireworks display. "Yeeehaw!" He shouted. The adrenalin-filled moment had to be released when he realized he just dodged the biggest assault he had ever experienced. He spotted the Nemon ship below, and tried to steer towards it.

Ventress realized the debris of several destroyed ships were about to engulf them, but she still could not move the ship any faster. She almost collapsed from the exhaustion of trying to control the ship.

"I can't get enough power! I can't do it!" She almost wanted to cry. Ahsoka and Barriss looked at each other, and smiled. She had already done so much. The two of them walked up in front of Ventress, each placing a hand into the control panel with hers.

Ahsoka and Barriss held hands and concentrated. "We gotcha covered!" Ahsoka smiled. Their extra power increased the power of the ship as they headed towards the ruins. They steered clear of the area that was about to be flooded by fireballs of wreckage from above.

"I'm coming in hot!" Lux called out on the radio. I'll try to land on the ship!" Lux was struggling with the controls.

Ahsoka looked up desperately, unsure of what to do. Obi-wan stepped in and took her place next to Ventress. "Go get him, Ahsoka. I'll watch over Asajj here." He smiled.

"Thank you!" Ahsoka whispered. She ran to the open hatch and leapt up to the outside of the ship. She looked across the sky, trying to spot him. A lone Vulture droid spotted her and began a strafing run. Ahsoka frowned and tried to run for the hatch, but a trail of blaster fire rained down around her. Ahsoka looked up, watching it come for her.

Then, Lux's Jedi fighter swiped into it, blowing up both fighters. At first, Ahsoka was stunned with terror at the thought of what just happened. Her jaw dropped for a split second. Lux spotted the lone droid and smashed into it with full force, but he and the R4 unit ejected from the fighter at just the right moment in a ridiculously spectacular move. The astromech hovered with its powered jets and landed safely. Lux activated his parachute, and glided down onto the Nemon ship with a graceful landing in front of her. The two fighters disappeared below, plummeting from view with one more victory against the droids.

Ahsoka and Lux looked at each other for a long two seconds. He took a deep breath and smiled at her. Ahsoka shook her head at his recklessness and smiled. She ran up to him. "Hey, stranger." He grinned.

Ahsoka grabbed him and just wrapped them together as she gave him a very grateful kiss of appreciation. The sky roared and thundered around past them. He embraced her and held the kiss as the clouds in the distance glowed bright shades of red and orange. In their moment of relief, the sky rained fire and debris from far off as Clone Dooku's destroyed fleet sank past them, showering the area with twisted smoking metal and chunks.

Tears of fire from the skies above.

Down below, the Nemon saw the fleet come down in flames. Giant fire balls roared through the air and crashed in the distance. The pirates had had enough of the fight. The carnage from above plus the rampaging Eihort broke their resolve.

Elder Pardek watched with other Nemon that gathered around and observed the skies above. They marveled at the sight of the fleet raining down in fiery pieces. "The Gods weep up above." He whispered around his fellows. "Again, it is the legend!"

 

Ahsoka breaks from the kiss and grabs his hand. "Come on! Let's go back to the others." They run to the hatch and slip inside. Lux greets the others, grateful to see them alive, while Ahsoka rejoined Ventress at the controls.

"I think we can land outside the ruins!" Ventress smiled, finally getting the hang of steering the ship and using her senses to guide her while using the Force to give power to the ship.

"You're doing a great job, Ventress." Obi-wan mused. "I have to congratulate you. You've become the proud parent to about 500,000 baby lizards! I can't wait to see you change so many diapers!" Obi-wan stood by and had the biggest grin.

Ventress blushed, but was still in awe. She didn't know what to think, except that the old Ventress was gone. She just looked out upon the huge incubation machine that cared for so many un-hatched children. She was to be a mother to the new Nemon, and suddenly the statue in the courtyard with two small children seemed to make a whole lot of sense. She never would see Varda again, but understood what his appearance had meant. It was not just for the future of the Nemon people, but hers as well.

Eihort was battered and bruised, but still in control as Conradin got next to Riddick and Vincent. They were away from the ruins, but out of options with trying to contain the God-beast. Malcolm and Katniss also joined up with them, realizing that they had pulled every trick in the book to keep the monster occupied. "I will give you the honor of dying a most horrible death at my leisure." Eihort slowly lumbered forth.

Everyone noticed behind the beast that Hendriksson, Pardek and the gathering of armed Nemon were making their way to them, but were not close enough to stop the beast. Maybe it was not their intention. They were drawn out to the field by something else.

Ventress was landing the ship, and Eihort had enough time to look up with its three remaining, undamaged eyes to see the huge Nemon incubation ship prepare to land on top of it. Eihort, Lord of the Dead, let out an indignant scream as it tried to move away. The ship squashed the great beast like slime, making Eihort's form simply splatter like a gummy yellow pile. Ventress had defeated the beast yet again, much to everyone's relief.

A hatch opened after the ship safely stopped in its landing. Everyone exited, greeting each other and shaking hands at a hard fought victory.

The celebration was cut short by a fleet of Republic gunships that landed nearby. Anakin Skywalker also landed his ship and walked over to the group. Clone troopers had surrounded them, and trained their guns on everyone.

"Well, I can't seem to catch a break, can I?" Ventress sighed as she and her friends put their hands up.

"We can talk to Anakin." Ahsoka looked at Obi-wan. "He will listen, won't he? We just had a major Republic victory here, and saved an entire race of people! Right, Pardek?"

Ahsoka looked at Pardek and Hendriksson, trying to find approval. Pardek nodded. "We are immensely grateful to your efforts and to the Phantom Queen. You have saved our way of life. You have given the last of us new hope to start over. You will become our greatest legend of all!"

Ventress was about to respond, when Anakin interjected. "She will be a legend to your people, perhaps, but she is a criminal to ours!" Anakin looked at the group with suspicion and accusatory expressions, especially at Barriss, Asajj and a disappointed look to Ahsoka.

Riddick stepped between Anakin and Asajj.

"Anakin, there are circumstances here that should be taken into account." Obi-wan tried to create a defense.

Anakin stopped him with a hand on the shoulder. He was grateful to see his friend alive and well, but now was not the time. "Please, Obi-wan," he whispered in a serious tone, "don't get in my way. I have a mission to finish here. I intend to carry it out." Obi-wan bowed his head and backed away.

Anakin marched past Obi-wan and Riddick towards Asajj, Ahsoka and Barriss with a stern look. "You don't have to do this." Ahsoka pleaded with him. Anakin was unconvinced, and she knew he was determined to finish the justice he felt was needed.

"It's ok, guys." Barriss sighed. "It's time to let this be finished." Barriss moved to face Anakin. "It's me you want. Nobody else needs to be involved."

"Everybody is already involved." Anakin says grimly. He looked to Commander Rex and the troops. "Round them all up. We'll sort out each person at the Temple with Tarkin and the Chancellor."

Conradin and Lux tried to step in. "This is really all my doing, sir." Lux tried to reason. "I was responsible-"

Anakin pushed him back. "I'm not interested in your bravado. I'm interested in justice! There's a terrorist here that will be punished along with the accomplices! Rex, process them." He pulls Ahsoka off to the side, trying to give her a sympathetic look. "Ahsoka, I have a job to do now. I need you to cooperate. I can put in a good word for you."

Ahsoka smiled for a second at him, remembering that he always tried for her, but she walked away again. "They didn't listen to me when I was innocent. I can't expect any better now that I'm guilty."

 

"Commander Skywalker!!! Message coming in from Coruscant!!" Cody ran up to Anakin and Obi-wan. "There are multiple distress signals. Coruscant has been attacked! The Chancellor is placing an emergency call out to all Republic Forces!!"

"That's all we need!" Anakin spit out with contempt. He looked at Conradin and Lux. "Looks like your old master Dooku and his slimy pals have done the unthinkable!"

Conradin frowned "I'm not one of them anymore!"

Anakin and Conradin went nose to nose. "I really, really hope you try to pull a fast one. I am looking forward to the cause of your death being 'resisting arrest!" Anakin whispered threateningly.

Conradin didn't back down. "Oh, you still want that rematch from Drongar, don't you? Well, you name the time and the place, Chosen One."

Barriss gently grabbed Conradin, pulling him away. He looked at her, and knew he needed to just calm down.

Things start getting out of control as Conradin's friends protest. Rex and the troopers bark orders to stand down. Katniss tried to go up to Anakin. "We don't want to use violence!"

Anakin waved his hand at her, knocking Katniss to the ground with a powerful push, perhaps with a little too much power. Malcolm, incensed, gets his pistol out and gets into Anakin's face with it. Every gun in the area goes up and everyone starts shouting. Obi-wan and Ventress try to calm everyone down as trigger fingers get itchy. Anakin and Malcolm stare each other down as Rex pulls everyone away. The clone troopers aim at Malcolm, ready to blow him to kingdom come.

Anakin calmly looks at him. "Relax, old man. I didn't touch her. She's fine!"

Malcolm stared him down with a wild look, his pistol steady between Anakin's eyes. "Yeah, that's a fancy trick you got there. You Jedi are full of fancy tricks and I have no doubt you can beat me in a fair fight, but if you EVER 'not touch her' again, you better make peace with your dear and fluffy Force."

Malcolm put down his gun. Rex hauled them away before things could get out of control. Obi-wan held onto Asajj, Barriss and Ahsoka. They were the original escapees and Kenobi assured the guards he would look after the three. He would watch over them after their harrowing experience on Beaudicca-3.

"Cody, how bad is the emergency? Are the Separatists attacking?" Anakin inquired.

Cody hesitated. Anakin, Obi-wan and Asajj looked at him, waiting. "There's a bit of a complication, sir. It seems we have emergency requests from the Chancellor... We know there has been another bombing, but we aren't sure of how big it was or casualties yet."

Anakin and Obi-wan felt the pain of thousands of people cry out and suddenly be silenced. Anakin in particular whispered Padme's name with horror. They started running.

Asajj looked at Ahsoka and Barriss. She felt a horror building up. She grabbed their hands, ready to follow Obi-wan on board the gunship to go back to Coruscant. They ran as fast as they could.

**Author's Note:**

> The story continues with a new adventure for Asajj, Ahsoka and Barriss, which will be posted soon


End file.
